Founded in 1966, Reading is Fundamental helps encourage children to read by working with children and their parents to read, especially in underserved communities. They believe that literacy is the key to helping children succeed. Reading is Fundamental (RIF) provides reading help in schools, community centers and homeless shelters across the United States, including locally in San Diego. RIF volunteers distribute free books to children and read with them. To find the closest RIF program to you in San Diego, visit www.RIF.org
The Special Olympics of Southern California, San Diego provides year-round athletic programs for people with intellectual disabilities. Their sports coaching and competitions instill confidence and self-esteem in the athletes, whether they win or lose. The Special Olympics of San Diego has sports opportunities as far south as San Ysidro and as far North as Oceanside. Volunteers are always needed. A few volunteer opportunities include coaching the sports teams, event planning, providing first aid at sports competitions and administrative office tasks. To find out more about volunteering or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit http://www.sosc.org/sandiego
The San Diego Audubon Society promotes education about and conservation of birds and their natural habitats. They have educational programs for 2nd through 6th graders and also help increase natural conservation through several local wildlife sanctuaries. The San Diego Audubon Society is also having a bird walk at 8am on Saturday, November 27th. Meet at the Tecolote Nature Center; 5180 Tecolote Road, San Diego CA 92110. They are always happy to accept volunteers and do not require previous training for volunteers. T-shirts, posters and other items which benefit the San Diego Audubon Society are for sale at http://sandiegoaudubon.org/
Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) is an annual conference that encourages middle school and high school girls to explore science, math and technology by learning from some of San Diego’s best scientists. Each year, Expanding Your Horizons helps young women become more aware of the opportunities they have in science and math careers. This is accomplished through hands-on activities, instead of long lectures. As a non-profit, EYH is specifically looking for businesses to act as corporate sponsors for 2011’s conference. Please visit http://eyhsandiego.org/ for more information.
If you’ve ever known anyone with struggling with an addiction to alcohol, you know that getting and staying sober cannot be done alone. Pathfinders of San Diego was founded in 1950, by a group of men looking for a sober living environment. Today, Pathfinders has several recovery houses for men, on Dale Street and Cedar Street in San Diego, which can each accommodate up to 40 men. Residents live in the recovery houses for an average of 3 to 9 months, where they attend daily AA meetings and participate in volunteer activities. You can make a tax-deductible donation by calling 619-260-1605 or visiting http://www.pathfindersrecovery.org .
Are you a runner? Looking to burn off some extra calories before the big Thanksgiving meal? On Thursday, November 25th at 7:10am, you can participate in a 10k or 5k run/walk through Petco Park and the Gaslamp district to help fight hunger. Proceeds go to fund Foodmobile, a service provided by Jewish Family Services and the San Diego Food Bank. Foodmobile delivers almost 2,000 hot meals to the elderly in San Diego each month and provides the only kosher food delivery service. Today, November 19th is the last day to pre-register for the race for only $25! For more information, visit http://www.kathyloperevents.com/hungry/
Empty Cradle provides emotional support and education to parents who have lost a baby, whether before or after birth. The organization started small in 1982 but today, they hold monthly meetings in San Diego, have telephone support and additional programs. Since Empty Cradle is a non-profit organization, it’s services are run entirely by volunteers. If you have a heart meant for volunteering to help parents who have suffered from a pregnancy loss or infant death, call (619) 595-3887 or email volunteer@emptycradle.org. You can also donate online at www.EmptyCradle.org
