These volunteers work tirelessly, dedicating enormous amounts of time, talent, donations and resources to making our community, City, State and nation better, fairer, more inclusive and more just. Without them we would not be where we are today. Their unwavering commitment supports and enriches our community in ways too numerous to count.
The Center has nearly 800 dedicated volunteers who donate over 16,000 hours of time annually for an annual monetary value of over $350,000. That makes a real, measurable difference in the health of our LGBT community. Our volunteers are the lifeblood of The Center and almost every program we offer. They help make it possible for us to do the projects, programs, activities and provide the services that we do.
Most of our local nonprofits and many of our major community events also rely upon volunteer help. AIDS Walk, Dining Out for Life and the San Diego LGBT Pride Parade & Festival couldn’t happen without the energy, enthusiasm and commitment of thousands of volunteers. Mama’s Kitchen, PFLAG, Stonewall Citizens Patrol, HRC—the list of organizations that form our community with the help of volunteers goes on and on.
What do people tell you when you move to a new place or simply want to meet new people? Go volunteer. And it’s true.
Volunteering is a great way to connect with your community, meet new people, and gain a sense that you make a real difference, have some fun and help make your City and community a better place. For decades the collected medical and social science literature has also told us that volunteering helps to improve physical health, mental health, increases hope and optimism and helps all people feel valued and a part of something larger than themselves. If you’d like to get more involved, there’s a very easy way to make that connection. Join us at the Annual Community Volunteer Fair.
Established in 2005 by the San Diego LGBT Community Leadership Council (also all volunteers), the Annual Community Volunteer Fair was designed to provide San Diego community non-profit organizations with an opportunity to showcase their organizations and recruit for their year-round volunteer opportunities. It is also designed to make gathering information about organizations easy and painless for the hundreds of community members who make New Year’s resolutions to volunteer.
The sixth annual Community Volun-teer Fair will be held Wednesday, Jan. 26, 5:30-7:00 pm at The San Diego LGBT Community Center, 3909 Centre Street. There is no cost either to participating organizations or to those seeking to volunteer. Organizations looking for volunteers should contact Jessica Cul-pepper at jculpepper@thecentersd.org for an application. If you’re interested in volunteering, all you have to do is show up!
Join us and volunteer!
