Five ways to volunteer

Mary A. Castillo

There are thousands of individuals in Newport-Mesa who volunteer their

time and talents to nonprofit organizations. Some start out to get school

credit, others want to do something meaningful during retirement years.

In spite of their differences in age, ethnicity and life experiences,

these people all share one common quality: to lend a helping hand to

someone in the community.

If your New Year’s resolution is to join their ranks, we have five

groups that would welcome your call.

Share Our Selves

“We are open to and encourage innovation on behalf of our volunteers

to improve our services to our clients,” admits Karen McGlinn, executive

director of Share Our Selves.

She refers specifically to two volunteers who took it upon themselves

to sort and organize a collection of clothing donations. Soon they

recruited more volunteers to open and operate a clothing store in the

lobby. Their work not only gave better access to the people who needed

those clothes, but also increased donations to keep up with the demand.

In all, 400 volunteers make it possible for Share Our Selves to

successfully provide emergency, medical and dental services to those in

need. Youth groups of all ages are encouraged to organize donation drives

as well as use their creative talents to brighten up the center during

holidays and special events.

Share Our Selves has a need for a drivers to pickup and deliver

donations; food distributors; receptionists and financial aid counselors.

If you have a specialized medical or dental skill or you just the need to

lend a helping hand, contact Share Our Selves at (949) 642-3451.

The Boys & Girls Club of Newport Mesa

“The most important qualities for our volunteers is patience and the

need to help kids,” says Harlan Anderson, branch director of the Boys &

Girls Club of Newport Mesa.

More than 80 kids a day come to the Boys & Girls Club for after school

sports and arts and crafts activities, as well as for homework help at

the Learning Center and computer lab. Volunteers as young as 14 help run

the numerous activities.

“It’s pretty easy to get involved. All they need to do is fill out an

application and sit down with me so we find the right niche for them,”

explains Harlan, who has been with the Boys & Girls Club for nearly 30

years.

If you would like to volunteer your time in the computer lab, as a

coach, or as a tutor, call (949) 642-8372.

Hoag Hospital Auxiliary

“The most important thing our volunteers do is give people a smile,’

says Doug Campbell, co-chairman of the Hoag Hospital Auxiliary.

For many, a friendly welcome from a volunteer pushing a wheelchair or

hosting the snack bar at the Blood Center can alleviate the stress of

their visit. From the time Hoag Hospital opened its doors in 1952, the

Hospital Auxiliary has grown to include 38 committees where the senior

and junior members of the Auxiliary donate their time, skills, and of

course, their smiles.

Volunteer activities range from helping the triage nurses in the

Emergency Room and cuddling newborns to helping run the Gift Shop, which

gives all profits directly to Hoag Hospital. All it takes to get involved

is an application and mandatory attendance at a volunteer orientation

session held once every month.

For an application and information on the Auxiliary committees, call

(949) 760-2264 or visit the Support Services section of o7

https://www.hoaghospital.org.

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The Mesa Verde Literacy Center

“The greatest reward about being a tutor is not only seeing your

students progress in English but also in their lives,” says Vicki Noble,

volunteer director of the Mesa Verde Literacy Center.

Under her direction, tutors work with students who need better English

language skills to improve their daily living and job opportunities.

Tutors are expected to be fluent in English and have a desire to help

people who come from all over the world to improve their lives.

Volunteers undergo a five-week training course that covers cultural

diversity skills, organizing a curriculum and adult English as a Second

Language teaching methods.

For more information, call (714) 545-3445.

The Newport Beach Library Literacy Services

“Our students have gone on to receive recognition from the local

business community, job promotions [and] receive college degrees and even

publish a book,” explains Diane Mosley, director of the Newport Beach

Library Literacy Services.

However, all of these students started with one thing in common: they

had poor to almost no reading and writing skills.

The Newport Beach Library Literacy Program is designed to give adult

students one-on-one tutoring by trained volunteers. Tutors go through a

15-hour training program, and they are expected to give a minimum 50-hour

commitment to the program.

Typically, students and tutors meet for one hour weekly at the Newport

Beach Central Library or at any of the satellite libraries. At the end of

their 50-hour tutorial period, students have the skills to take the GED

or read a book to their child.

The Literacy Program also sponsors Families For Literacy, a program

designed for adult students to bring in their children for special

activities.

To sign-up for the next tutor training session, call (949) 717-3874 or

visit o7 https://www.newportbeachlibrary.org.

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