I volunteer when I can do so for the following organizations:
The American Cinematheque
http://www.americancinematheque.com/
If you love movies as much as I do, then you’ll want to support about
the American Cinematheque. This organization shows classic films, hold
foreign film festivals, holds sneak premiers of current films, and hosts
live appearances of actors, directors, screenwriters, and others who
make the magic of the movies happen. They do so at two theatres: Grauman’s
Egyptian Theater in Hollywood and the Aero Theater in
Santa Monica.
The Aero is where most celebrities show up (even in the audience!) but it is not my favorite theatre of the two. The Egyptian theater is truly a temple to the movies. It is a huge movie palace with art deco-style Egyptian design; the theatre courtyard is made to resemble the entrance to an ancient Egyptian temple, complete with murals of Egyptian deities and royalty.
Sometimes I volunteer just taking tickets at the theatre, or working a table on Hollywood Blvd. to educate tourists and other passers-by about the theater’s importance in Hollywood History. I’ve also worked at special events: I’ve been a bartender at the Egyptian’s annual Tiki Party, and I recruited and organized vendors for a special science-fiction movie event. It’s a great deal of fun!
The New Orleans Healing Center
http://neworleanshealingcenter.org/
I write press releases and help with the publicity for this new community
center in New Orleans, located at the corner of St. Claude and St. Roch.
New Orleans is in need of a lot of help these days, and even though I
can’t get there that often, I still want to contribute. The New Orleans
Healing Center just opened this year and it aims to aid the community
by offering alternative healing, art space, a food co-op, classes in
a variety of topics at its innovative Street University, a
women’s collective and more. Rehabilitating this area of New Orleans
is the mission of Sallie Ann Glassman and her team, and I’m honored to
be a part of it. I hope to teach classes and work in the center when
I am in New Orleans.
Here are some charities I support:
Doctors without Borders
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
This is my favorite charity. Doctors without Borders does not have
any religious or political leanings; they are comprised of doctors and
nurses who go to the parts of the world where they are needed after natural
disasters, wars, and other calamities have stressed the local medical
services beyond their limits. One of the reasons I support this charity
is that I once saw them in action. Truly amazing people, Doctors Without
Borders have recently gone to work in Haiti after the earthquake and
are volunteering medical help in Libya and other countries where the
people are under attack by their own governments.
Greenpeace
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/
Greenpeace Executive Director Kumi Naidoo was just arrested (6/17/11)
for trying to take action against oil drilling in the Arctic. Greenpeace
takes action on many fronts to help the environment. Best of all, you
can sign petitions and letters online that will go to your government
officials supporting the causes you believe in. My favorite one right
now is aimed at saving the remaining Sumatran tigers. Yes, Greenpeace
is political: but remember that we only have one planet, and whatever
our politics may be we all live together on the earth, so why not preserve
it for us and those to come?
Give 150.com
http://www.history.com/give150
Got a dollar and fifty cents? I’ll bet you do. It’s the 150th anniversary
of the Civil War, and Civil War sites are being lost at the rate of an
acre an hour. The History Channel will match donations of up to $150,000,
but all they are asking is that you give a dollar and fifty cents. That’s
something we can all afford, and they’ll match it. Historic sites cannot
be replaced once they’re destroyed, so why not work to preserve them?
LA Gulf Response: Louisiana Volunteer Programs
http://www.lagulfresponse.org/
This is another Louisiana program in which various charities such
as the Nature Conservancy and the Audoban Society have joined forces
to help the Louisiana coastal wetlands as they have been battered by
hurricanes and befouled by the British Petroleum oil spill. They need
volunteers as much as or maybe even more than they need cash, so if you
are in the area, try to volunteer.
Surfrider Foundation
http://www.surfrider.org/
As a South Bay native this is an organization dear to my heart, as
they began as an organization of surfers dedicated to the environmental
integrity of our Southern California beaches. They support coastal access
for all Californians, oppose offshore drilling, and help us protect our
beaches. “Pay where you play” is their initiative that speaks to locals
who want to donate money that will go directly to the beaches that we
visit. They also help sponsor International Surfing Day, June
30th.
Heal the Bay
http://www.healthebay.org/
Dedicated to cleaning up and preserving the Santa Monica Bay, this
organization sponsors beach clean-ups—a good thing to volunteer for.
They’re another organization that is dedicated to our local beaches and
provides education in how to preserve our natural resources. Volunteer
or ask one of their speakers to come to your class, business, or organization
to learn how each of us can have a positive effect on the environment.
ASPCA
http://www.aspca.org/
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has
local chapters where you can volunteer to help mistreated and discarded
pets. During the recession many people have had to give up their beloved
pets because they can’t afford to take care of them anymore. June is
Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month, so if you’re thinking of getting a cat, now’s
the time to do so: by adopting one from your local SPCA shelter. One
of the many helpful things you can buy from them is a disaster preparedness
kit for animals. What a great idea!
Sweaters for Solstice
http://sweatersforsolstice.wordpress.com/
Sweaters for Solstice™ is a charitable function associated with the Iseum
of Isis Paedusis. As a Goddess centered spiritual organization the Iseum
recognizes our social resposibility to help those in need, regardless of
their religious beliefs and thus this idea was born. Each year, between
August 1 and December 15, we will host clothing drives to collect sweaters,
gloves, hats and other winter outerwear by placing collection boxes at
various locations around Southern CA. These clothing items will be distributed
to homeless and battered women’s shelters during the Winter Solstice Holidays.
We ask that you support our cause by donating new and lightly used winter
outerwear in clean condition.
If you want to learn more about eco-tourism and volun-tourism, see my article “Magical Eco-Tourism” in the 2012 Llewellyn Witches' Companion: An Almanac for Everyday Living.