Come and Celebrate
the New Year with
L.A. Works !

Join L.A. Works in getting 2005 off to a great start at this fun-filled party for all our volunteers at Hollywood Billiards on January 15. Learn how to get involved in L.A. Works Day 2005 and about new committee and leadership opportunities.  Meet and mingle with our staff and get to know your fellow volunteers! Most of all – we're going to have fun!

There will be food, prizes, and free billiards!  The first drink will be on us for the first 75 people to arrive. If you've volunteered through L.A. Works during 2004 you are eligible to win an Apple I-Pod! Drawing will be at 8:00 p.m. (you must be present at the drawing to win).

Click here to sign-up now!

Only a few days left for Plaza de la Raza
Toy Drive!

Plaza de la Raza is a cultural and arts education center in East L.A.  For many of the kids who attend Plaza's after school educational programs, the gift they get from the Plaza's gift drive is the only one they will get all season.  So we are asking for your help:

We need gifts for boys and girls ages 2-18.  The only restrictions are no military, police or weapon toys.  Otherwise any unwrapped clothes, toys, games, or school supplies are welcomed. 

Our friends at Irwin Natural Products have adopted Plaza as their office gift drive, so maybe you can organize your office to do the same thing. 

Our goal is to raise 300 gifts.  Let's make this a happy holiday season for the Plaza kids.

Here's the L.A. Works address to send or drop-off your gift:

L.A. Works
570 W. Avenue 26, #400
Los Angeles, CA 90065

Click here to view a mapquest map to our location.

All gifts must be new (not used or hand-me-down) unwrapped, and received at the L.A. Works office by mail, parcel post, or delivery by noon on Friday Dec. 10.

The L.A. Works Truck Needs
Your Help!

Many of you are intimately familiar with L.A. Works' trusty work horse affectionately known as Old Blue.  After over 250,000 miles, thousands of gallons of paint transported to hundreds of service projects, and untold trips to various fast food joints to feed thousands of hungry volunteers, we're sad to say it's time for Old Blue to retire.

Our goal is to raise $35,000 to buy a new truck.  If only 1000 of our registered volunteers like you donate $35 each, it should be easy. 

Please give.  L.A. Works really needs a new truck. To donate, either mail a check made out to L.A. Works to:

L.A. Works
570 W. Avenue 26, #400
Los Angeles, CA 90065

Or visit our website at www.laworks.com and click on the Donations button on the left menu to make a secure online donation via credit card.

Featured Project of the Month

City Wide Clean Up Day (PAVA) The Pacific-American Volunteer Association (PAVA) is a 3 year-old organization dedicated to community service from the Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and other Asian communities. On January 8, PAVA has organized a city-wide clean-up day, based on a Korean tradition of cleaning house at the start of the New Year. L.A. Works has organized a campus beautification event at Magnolia St. Elementary School as part of PAVA's big day beginning at 9 am and ending at 1 pm. The school is located near Koreatown at the corner of Venice Bl & Orchard St. There is plenty of parking on and around the campus. Click here for more information and to sign-up!

Other Holiday Volunteer Opportunities

The following opportunities are not L.A. Works managed projects, but should be of interest to our volunteers.

Project Chicken Soup
Project Chicken Soup is a volunteer organization whose mission is to prepare and deliver meals to people living with HIV/AIDS. Project Chicken Soup needs volunteers to cook and deliver meals two Sundays a month at the Hirsh Kosher Kitchen. Volunteers are needed December 7th and 21st to cook and deliver food throughout LA county. If you would like to participate please call 323-655-5330 or visit www.projectchickensoup.org.

Charity Checks-The Universal Charitable Giving Certificate
Still looking for the perfect holiday gift? This holiday season, you can give a friend, family-member or co-worker a Charity Check, a "giving certificate" for the recipient to give to the charity of their choice. This unique gift opportunity allows anyone to shop from home and give a present that's redeemable as a donation to any of 850,000 IRS-qualified charities across the country. Share the joy of giving with a friend, and watch them embrace the chance to give. For more information visit www.charitychecks.us or call toll free, 800-854-5601.

Mothers' Club Community Center
Mothers' Club Community Center's annual Adopt-A-Family Program is a convenient and meaningful way for community members to make the holiday season a little brighter for a family in need. The staff is committed to ensuring that each of the participating families will have the basic elements needed for a peaceful and enjoyable holiday - a holiday meal and a present for each member of the family. No contribution is too small! If you are interested in adopting a Mothers' Club family, or have questions about the program, please call 626-792-2687 or send an email to silvana@mothersclub.org

South Central LAMP
Since 1995, South Central Los Angeles Ministry Project (South Central LAMP) has offered a beacon of hope to hundreds of women and their families. South Central LAMP is a non-sectarian community-based non-profit organization which strives to support and empower the families of South Central Los Angeles through a range of programs and services. South Central LAMP provides ESL classes, a Mother's Support Group, Family Book Club, Family Advocacy - to name just a few of their services - and they are in need of your support.

South Central LAMP will be hosting a Christmas party, on December 18th and will be providing gifts to families in need. At the party, the LAPD will show off horses from the mounted unit, the skills of their K-9 Unit dogs, and everyone will share in a pot-luck meal. If you would like to get involved, please call 323-234-1471 or visit www.southcentrallamp.org

Union Station Foundation
Union Station Foundation has been providing shelter to the homeless and meals to the hungry for thirty years, and their services are designed to meet community needs in the Greater Pasadena area and western San Gabriel Valley. This organization believes in the inherent worth and dignity of every individual and strives to provide the highest quality of services based on a foundation of respect for all people.

Union Station Foundation holds a Christmas dinner in the park each year, which feeds 3000 people. They are in need of new, unwrapped toys to distribute during the Christmas dinner, as well as monetary donations. To contribute or for more information, please call 626-240-4550 x 114 or visit www.unionstationfoundation.org.

Food on Foot
Food on Foot is a nonprofit organization that has been feeding and clothing over 500 homeless individuals and families a week in Los Angeles since 1996. You can help by volunteering your time distributing prepackaged food and clothing on Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. in Venice, and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in Hollywood. Interested volunteers can visit the web site at www.foodonfoot.org or send an email to info@foodonfoot.org

We will continue to update this list on the web-based copy of this newsletter as additiional volunteer opportunities with other agencies comes to our attention. Click here to view the most current version of this list.