Volunteer Opportunities in Ventura County

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Looking for a job? Why not help yourself by filling in the gaps in your resume with new experiences while helping others! Or if you are just looking to give back to the local community, there are hundreds of opportunities to volunteer throughout Ventura County. Here's where to find volunteer opportunities:

The United Way of Ventura County hosts www.VolunteerVenturaCounty.org, which lists numerous upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Since 1998, VolunteerMatch.org has helped volunteers find over 4 million volunteer matches at over 60,000 non-profits across the country.

Or visit the Local Charities section of Conejo Valley Guide and you'll find over 100 Ventura County area non-profit organizations, most of which could use your help. I clicked a few and found plenty of volunteer needs publicized on each entity's website, like MANNA Food Bank, L.I.F.E. Animal Rescue in Agoura, Hospice of the Conejo, Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library, and CareGivers - Volunteers Assisting the Elderly.

You could also join one of over 80 service organizations in the Service Clubs section of CVG. The Rotary, Kiwanis, Optimist, Assistance League, Lions Club and other organizations provide needed services to others in need. 

ActionVC is a non-profit that seeks volunteers to serve the vulnerable in our local community. www.actionvc.org/volunteer

Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County seeks volunteers at www.habitatventura.org/volunteer.

The Ventura County Resource Conservation District seeks volunteers to further its mission to conserve the natural resources of Ventura County at www.vcrcd.org/volunteer.

The Ventura County Medical Reserve Corps is a volunteer network that provides support for public health, emergency response, first aid services for local events and other local needs. www.venturacountymrc.org

Volunteer opportunities in Thousand Oaks: toaks.org/departments/human-resources/volunteer

Volunteer opportunities in Simi Valley: www.simivalley.org/index.aspx?page=355

Volunteer opportunities in Camarillo: www.cityofcamarillo.org/departments/city_manager/volunteers.php

Volunteer opportunities in Moorpark: moorparkca.gov/389/Volunteering-in-Moorpark

Volunteering in the City of Westlake Village: www.wlv.org/index.aspx?nid=320

Volunteering for the County of Ventura: hr.ventura.org/volunteer

How about the National Park Service? Check the local Santa Monica Mountains volunteer opportunities and Channel Islands National Park volunteer opportunities.

Also check out the volunteer opportunities with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. mrca.ca.gov/educational-outreach-programs/volunteer-2

And more links to volunteering opportunities:

Conejo Recreation and Park District www.crpd.org/support/volunteer

Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District www.pvrpd.org/volunteer

Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District www.rsrpd.org/recreation/volunteers.php

Los Robles Hospital volunteer opportunities for adults and high school students www.losrobleshospitalvolunteers.com

Thousand Oaks Library www.tolibrary.org/services/get-involved/library-volunteers

Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley www.bgcconejo.org/get-involved/volunteer

Food Share of Ventura County foodshare.com/volunteer

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (Oxnard, Ventura, Camarillo and Port Hueneme) www.oxnard.org/recreation/senior-services/rsvp-volunteer

St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo www.dignityhealth.org/central-coast/locations/pleasantvalley/about-us/volunteering

Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship in Newbury Park www.rideon.org/volunteer.php

Shelter Hope Pet Shop in Thousand Oaks shelterhopepetshop.org/help

Conejo Players Theatre in Thousand Oaks conejoplayers.org/volunteer

Rancho St. Francis in Newbury Park www.ranchostfrancis.org/Volunteers.htm

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Volunteers in Policing Program www.venturasheriff.org/volunteers/volunteers-in-policing

New West Symphony in Thousand Oaks newwestsymphony.org/volunteer

Conejo Free Clinic www.conejofreeclinic.org/volunteers

Interface Children & Family Services www.icfs.org/volunteer

Boys and Girls Clubs of Conejo Valley www.bgcconejo.org/get-involved/volunteer

Senior Concerns in Thousand Oaks seeks volunteers for its Adult Day Care Center, Meals on Wheels and other programs. www.seniorconcerns.org/volunteer

James Storehouse in Newbury Park seeks volunteers for its work supporting children in need. Visit www.jamesstorehouse.org/volunteer to apply.

Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara seeks volunteers cancersupportvvsb.org/about-us/volunteer-opportunities

Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency seeks volunteers for trail watch, trail work days, Adopt-a-Trail and more. conejo-openspace.org/about/volunteer-opportunities

The Conejo Senior Volunteer Program provides opportunities for adults age 55+ to use their life experience and skills to meet local community needs. www.crpd.org/programs-sports/conejo-senior-volunteer-program

School on Wheels seeks volunteers to tutor children experiencing homelessness. schoolonwheels.org/apply-to-be-a-volunteer

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary seeks volunteers ages 17 and up to join its local Channel Islands flotilla. Bring the USCG AUX your skills or join to develop your leadership skills through numerous free classes and workshops offered. The USCG AUX was established by Congress in 1939 to assist the Coast Guard in promoting boating safety. Volunteers assist the Coast Guard in non-law enforcement programs such as safety patrols, search and rescue, maritime security, vessel safety checks, public safe boating classes and watchstanding. Visit www.d11s.org to learn more.

Non-profit Step Up Tutoring seeks volunteers ages 16+ to tutor students online in underserved communities. Learn more at www.stepuptutoring.org/volunteer-tutor.

Conejo Valley Meal and Shelter Program Providers

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Conejo Valley WINTER SHELTER ACTIVITIES ended 2020-2021. Instead of nightly sit-down meals and shelters, Harbor House hosts a daily lunch/meal program at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1 W. Avenida de los Arboles, between 4:45-5:30 pm. www.harborhouseto.org/daily-meal-program

Harbor House also provides rental assistance, case management, gas and electric assistance, showers and laundry service, and more.

Learn how you can volunteer, including preparing sack lunches, hot meals and other support for Harbor House at www.harborhouseto.org/volunteer

Make donations at www.harborhouseto.org/donate

Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship in Newbury Park Serves the Disabled

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Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship teaches horseback riding to children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. Founded in 1994, Ride On has given over 100,000 safe, effective and individualized lessons and therapy treatments. Serving the Conejo Valley, Ride On's Newbury Park site is operated in partnership with the Conejo Recreation and Park District. In the San Fernando Valley, Chatsworth is home to a newer facility and 3 acre ranch.

Ride On serves over 200 riders each week at its 13 acre Newbury Park location at 401 Ronel Court and its Chatsworth location. The minimum age for therapeutic riding is 4 years old and all disabilities are served, both mental and physical.

Therapeutic riding is a unique combination of sport, recreation and education. Specially trained NARHA qualified instructors use their knowledge of disabilities to teach horsemanship skills to riders with varying ability levels. A typical therapeutic riding lesson involves safety on and around horses, warm up exercises, games and riding skills including equitation and obstacle. Increased balance, strength and self esteem are some of the benefihts of this wonderful recreational activity.

Ride On also offers hippotherapy for clients as young as 2 years old. Hippotherapy is the use of the horse’s movement for rehabilitation. Licensed Therapists properly position the patient on the horse, analyze the patient’s response and direct the horse’s movement to achieve specific patient treatment goals. Hippotherapy facilitates improved balance, posture, mobility, communication and behavior for patients of all ages and many disabilities.

Ride On’s primary funding sources are income from lessons, grants, special events and private donations. Ride On is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Visit www.rideon.org or call 805.375.9078 for more information.

Volunteer Opportunities in Ventura County During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Here is a compilation of local Ventura County area volunteer opportunities of particular need during the COVID-19 emergency Stay Well at Home Order. The list was compiled courtesy of the City of Thousand Oaks Public Works Department.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES - FROM HOME

Harbor House www.harborhouseto.org - Sign up to make bag lunches for those in need.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES - DONATIONS NEEDED

Homeless Support - Kindness/Care Kits www.roonga.com/uwvchomelesscarekits - Support homeless services by purchasing kits for those experiencing homeless through June 1st.

Senior Concerns www.seniorconcerns.org - Pantry items and toiletries needed for senior delivery kits at 401 Hodencamp Road, Thousand Oaks. 805-497-0189 info@seniorconcerns.org

Manna Conejo www.mannaconejo.org - Pantry items needed for local food pantry at 3020 Crescent Way, Thousand Oaks. 805-497-4959 info@mannaconejo.org

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES - ON LOCATION

Food Share of Ventura County foodshare.com/volunteer - Numerous volunteer opportunities available - senior kit distribution, pop-up food pantries, throughout Ventura County

Volunteer Ventura County www.volunteerventuracounty.org has numerous meal delivery and other opportunities listed at www.volunteerventuracounty.org/need/?s=1&need_init_id=3061.

Senior Kit Distribution:

  • Grace Bible Church in Oxnard LINK

  • Our Lady of Guadalupe in Oxnard LINK

  • Camino Del Sol Apartments in Oxnard LINK

  • Santa Paula Apts LINK

  • Evangelistic Baptist Church LINK

  • Fillmore Active Adult Center LINK

  • Heritage Apartments in Oxnard LINK

  • New Life Community Church in Oxnard LINK

  • Pleasant Valley Senior Center in Camarillo LINK

  • Salvation Army in Oxnard LINK

  • Senior Kit Packer Mondays LINK

  • Senior Kit Packer Wednesdays LINK

  • Senior Kit Packer Thursdays LINK

Produce

  • Senior Nutrition Garden for Individuals LINK

  • Produce Outreach in Santa Paula LINK

Do Well by Doing Good in the New Year! Volunteer Opportunities in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County

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How about a new New Year's resolution for 2020! Resolve to dedicate some time towards a local organization that needs your help. Not only does it feel good to help others, but it helps broaden your horizons. And with the lousy economy, many people need your help. Or if you are one of those many people who is between jobs, giving time to those in need looks great on your resume.

So to summarize:

  1. Volunteering makes you feel good.

  2. Feeling good about yourself benefits all aspects of your life.

  3. There are many organizations and people who need your support.

  4. Volunteering is a great resume builder. You may even learn new, marketable skills as a volunteer!

Here on Conejo Valley Guide we have compiled an extensive, growing list of local volunteer and support organizations based in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County area. Click here to see the list and to click through to their websites.

A sampling:

These are just a few of the 60+ non-profit organizations listed here.  Contact us to be added to the list or if there is an event you would like to promote on CVG.

Oakbrook Regional Park in Thousand Oaks Back Open to the Public Post-Woolsey Fire

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Oakbrook Regional Park sustained quite a bit of burn damage from the Woolsey Fire of November 2018 and was closed to the public for a number of months. The popular replica Chumash village was destroyed by the fire.

The good news is that the park is now back open and most of the trees, many with visible blackened trunks, are recovering and showing distinct signs of regrowth.

Docents from the Chumash Indian Museum are organizing an effort to rebuild the popular replica village and are raising funds on a GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/chumash-indian-museum-wildfire-fund to support this effort. They are also seeking volunteers to help place the tule (plant used for Chumash house structures) on the aps (traditional Chumash houses).

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New Chumash houses (or “aps”) in process of being built.

New Chumash houses (or “aps”) in process of being built.

Mountains Restoration Trust Preserves Land in the Santa Monica Mountains

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Based in Calabasas, Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT) is a non-profit land trust dedicated to preserving natural land in the Santa Monica Mountains, a range traversing from Griffith Park to Point Mugu in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. through restoration, education and land acquisition. MRT was founded in 1981.

Restoration projects are a top priority for MRT. Non-native plant invasion has been occurring in the fragile ecology of the Santa Monica Mountains since early explorers arrived with mustard seeds to mark their trails. Non-native grasses, trees and plants have found a similar home far from their lands of origin, and are a threat to native plants and animals.

Non-native, invasive crayfish in Malibu Creek eat native amphibians and fish, wrecking havoc on the creek's ecosystem. Volunteers have removed over 11,000 crayfish from the creek! MRT encourages volunteers every Thursday through Saturday to help remove these crayfish. I signed up with my kids and it certainly was fun, interesting and rewarding!

We learned how to tell a male from a female crayfish from the biologist volunteer.

We learned how to tell a male from a female crayfish from the biologist volunteer.

After retrieving the crayfish from traps set by MRT staff, my kids helped measure their length for a long-term study.

After retrieving the crayfish from traps set by MRT staff, my kids helped measure their length for a long-term study.

The kids had a blast. Sign up to help at www.mountainstrust.org/events-grid.

In addition to restoration projects, MRT hosts nature walks, rattlesnake avoidance training, youth naturalist programs, summer camps, senior programs and more.

To learn more, visit www.mountainstrust.org or call 818.591.1701.