Break Out of the USC Bubble— LA Service Opportunities

By Danielle Collins ‘20

I’m sure you’ve heard someone say it before: we live in the USC bubble. Whether we like to admit it or not, there’s some truth behind that statement. I totally get it— USC is a great place and I want to spend as much time soaking it up in the 4 years I’m here as I can. But you can still soak up USC’s awesome-ness even once the bubble is popped.

One of the best ways to break out of the USC bubble is getting involved with service opportunities in the LA area. And, trust me, there are a lot of them. Not only will you become more aware of the community we live in outside of USC’s campus, but you’ll be helping others and have some great experiences to grow along the way.

Sometimes it can feel hard to get involved with service when there are lengthy application processes or daunting time commitments. But there are lots of low-key ways to get involved with service through some amazing organizations in LA. For those of you ready to get serving, here are some great opportunities with quick applications and flexible time commitments:

• Midnight Mission: Midnight Mission’s goal is “To offer a bridge to self-sufficiency for people experiencing homelessness” in the LA area. Volunteers can get involved with Midnight Mission’s many services, such as their meal service, clothing drives, and tutoring programs. I’ve volunteered at Midnight Mission’s meal service kitchen and highly recommend it. Volunteering is as easy as signing up online, providing some quick personal info, and signing a waiver. And it’s just a 15 minute drive from USC. Sign up and learn more about Midnight Mission opportunities here.

• Fur Baby Rescue: For all you animal lovers out there, LA has lots of animal shelter opportunities. One shelter under 10 minutes away from USC is Fur Baby Rescue. Fur Baby has a few volunteer opportunities that vary in terms of the application process and time commitments. For a more low-key way to be involved, consider volunteering at adoption events or being a “cat socializer.” Because who doesn’t want to hang out with puppies and kittens for an hour or two? Learn more on their website.

• One Voice: With Halloween just around the corner, it’s pretty much time to start getting in the Christmas spirit. You can start by marking your calendar to volunteer for One Voice’s yearly Holiday Program. Located in Santa Monica, One Voice strives to “to provide goods, services and opportunities to the underprivileged.” And from December 14-17, volunteers can easily get involved packing and distributing food to over 12,000 people. Find out more here.

• School on Wheels: One of my favorite ways to volunteer is working with younger students. These opportunities tend to have longer applications and stricter time commitments since you will get to know the students you work with. But if you love working with kids, it’s so worth it. School on Wheels provides tutoring services to homeless youth throughout LA. If you have a little more time to give, visit their website to learn about tutoring opportunities. School on Wheels requires an application and volunteer training, so make sure to reach out to them with questions if you are concerned about the commitment.

• California Hospital Medical Center: You don’t have to be pre-med to volunteer at this hospital (though pre-meds are more than welcome). The CHMC has many volunteer opportunities for anyone like me who is squeamish around blood; in other words, you won’t be watching surgeries. At CHMC you commit to one hour of volunteering on a weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly basis after a short application process. Opportunities include patient visitation, creativity workshops, and more that can be found online.

• For more volunteer opportunities in the LA area, check out these websites for DTLA volunteer opportunities and for opportunities in and around LA. Also make sure to take a look at USC’s many service-oriented clubs and organizations at this website with your USC ID or on this list.
  

I know it can be hard to set aside time to volunteer with all of the other commitments of being a college student. But I promise you it is worth it. Even if you can only go once a week, once a month, or even once a semester, go. You will not regret it. Take the time now to click on one of these links and sign up. Happy serving!

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