Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina is urging residents to volunteer at public libraries, food banks and homeless shelters this week for a community service effort dedicated to the late labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.
The county's 11th annual Cesar E. Chavez Community Service Week begins today and runs through Friday.
"Cesar Chavez is an American hero not only for his accomplishments as a labor organizer but as a civil rights leaders and non-violent protestor,'' Molina said.
"Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to improving the conditions of workers who harvest the food which feeds our nation. He co-founded the United Farm Workers, an organization which mobilized thousands of people into political action. He led a five-year non-violent grape boycott which captivated the nation and led to landmark worker protections.''
Molina said she could think of "no more fitting way'' to honor Chavez than by dedicating a week of service to the community in his name.
Volunteers at the Weingart Center, which serves homeless people on Skid Row, will be put to work painting a floor. The Los Angeles Regional Foodbank will hold food ``sort-a-thons'' and will be accepting donations at multiple community locations. Participating county libraries will have volunteers assist with homework, read during story time, prepare crafts for children and sort, clean and straighten books.
Information on volunteer opportunities can be found at www.lacounty.gov.
Teachers and others who want to learn more about Chavez can download instructional materials at www.colapublib.org/chavez.
Volunteerism in Cerritos Totals Nearly 50,000 Hours in 2011
Earlier this month, the city of Cerritos reported that in 2011, 1,303 volunteers contributed 48,568 hours of service in the city. These volunteers donate their time to a variety of programs and facilities throughout the city, including Cerritos’ recreation programs, the , the at , the and the .
The following is a summary of city volunteers’ contributions in 2011:
- Arts Ambassadors at the CCPA donated 12,582 hours of their time assisting with ticket renewals and serving as ushers for performances.
- Cerritos Senior Center volunteers assisted staff in numerous ways, including working at the reception desk, reading library, bingo events and fitness center. They also conducted health screenings, instructed classes, and served lunches. Many also assisted with the city's special events and the Seniors Personally Involved in Children’s Enrichment (S.P.I.C.E.) program. Collectively volunteers contributed 4,293 hours of service.
- Friends of the Cerritos Library contributed 2,000 hours last year working in the Friends store. They also sorted donated books for the store and organized book sales, the Scholastic Book Fair and the annual Mystery on the Menu Luncheon. In addition, they judged the entries for the annual teen and children's art and writing contests.
- Cerritos Library volunteens donated 6,525 hours registering children for the summer reading program, preparing materials for craft and special programs, shelving and straightening books, and creating posters to advertise programs.
- Volunteers on Patrol assisted with traffic and crowd control, performed home vacation checks and patrolled the city. Volunteers on Patrol contributed 7,580 hours in 2011.
- Community Emergency Response Team members have been trained in emergency preparedness procedures in case of a disaster, and volunteered 680 hours last year.
- Teen recreation volunteers assisted with all recreation special events and classes, and contributed 4,140 hours last year.
- Recreation Services volunteer coaches for flag football, basketball, soccer and baseball donated 8,376 hours of their time in 2011.
- Volunteer marshals at the Iron-Wood 9 Golf Course helped facilitate the speed of play and ensured the safety and rules of the course. Volunteer marshals contributed 2,392 hours last year.
For more information about volunteering in Cerritos, visit the city’s website at cerritos.us and navigate to the I want to. . . section and mouse down to the “Volunteer at the” button.
- City News Service contributed to a portion of this report.
