#volunteerism

#volunteerism

"Having just finished my addictions, I had difficulty interacting with people and making social connections," Gilbert said during a recent interview. "The only lifestyle I knew was going to bars, just drinking. I get emotional remembering I was very lonely at the time." Gilbert then started coming to Openhouse and connected with Andrew, a young volunteer in our Friendly Visitor Program where volunteers of all ages are paired with LGBTQ+ older adults for social connection and companionship.

Fajr Khan has learned the value of small things - giving somebody a meal, providing a safe place to sleep, or being fully engaged during a conversation with a lonely person. Most her volunteer work with homeless people has been done quietly. But now the senior is trying to grasp a very different experience that is not so anonymous: winning a Rhodes Scholarship. "It still hasn't really settled in," Khan said with a laugh. "It just feels very not real. There's like this level of disbelief. But it's very cool and exciting."

"We are not waiting until 2028 to tap into Los Angeles' resilience, generosity and grit. This unique initiative channels the spirit of volunteerism long before the opening ceremony, and we have the chance to create a model for future host cities, as well as a legacy for Los Angeles and the Games," LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said in a statement. "Our hope is that this program can be a catalyst for Angelenos to give back to the city they love, unite across communities and help build a stronger city together."

I'm 75 now, but if I told my dad I'm getting old, he would laugh. He didn't slow down until he was about 94, and he was 100 when he died last December. Dad wouldn't want me sitting still in my old age, so this year I'm leading the 39th Annual Habitat for Humanity Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in his honor. I cried during the opening ceremony, because it's the first time the work project has happened since my father died.

I'm here because I really want to spread the love of reading," she said. "We've been bringing books through Appalachia, and this was the next stop," she said.

The variety and rigor required to run a classroom has translated directly to volunteer work. In addition to rotating exhibits and permanent displays inside its museum, the Concord Historical Society hosts film screenings, author readings, speakeasy pop-ups and open house tours. The nonprofit also makes home visits, Van Tassell said, where they've been invited to give neighbors and retirees private history lessons tailored to where they live.

"My family always taught me that effort matters more than talent," she reflects. "Discipline and consistency are what truly make a difference."

"Tommy Hart is a legend in the Staten Island running community and is a deserved flag-bearer of the 2025 Art Hall Service Award!"

The world lost a little sparkle on October 2, 2025, when Caroline Lee Orr Kissner peacefully passed away at age 76 - on her 49th wedding anniversary, surrounded by love. Born in Palo Alto, California, Cary lived a life full of heart, humor, family, and friends. She was the beloved daughter of Lee and Cornelia Orr and is survived by her devoted husband Chuck Kissner; her sister Kathy; children, Lea and Lauren Kissner; and four grandchildren, Amelia, Martin, Caroline, and Charlie.

The immediate few hours after the World Trade Center's Twin Towers collapsed during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, were likely the darkest in the city's history. We must never forget the nearly 3,000 people murdered in the heinous attacks 24 years ago today, and in the years that followed due to conflict and disease related to recovery work at Ground Zero.

There is a certain stigma that comes with being a "PTA Mom," and we all know it's because of how the PTA was perceived - and now forever stereotyped - in the '90s. Being a PTA mom in the '90s felt like some kind of weird cult thing where you refused to let outsiders in and took great pleasure in being in control of a school-wide dance. But you're a 2025 PTA mom.

AIDS Walk San Francisco this year raised more than $800,000 to support community service groups that provide a crucial network of care for HIV-positive people.

Our community cleanups are incredibly important. Not only do they beautify the neighborhood, making it an even better place to work, live and raise a family, but they bring residents together with a common goal of improving the place they are proud to call home.

Caroline Thomas, at 83, showcases that age does not limit the ability to serve and contribute to society, actively training emergency responders as a mock casualty.

Leo Phillips-Waller, after suffering a traumatic brain injury from a crash, now volunteers on a dementia ward, using his experience to help others.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, I was always fascinated by how things moved—how products got from one place to another, how businesses ran behind the scenes. My curiosity about this process only grew stronger when I went to college.

"As we prepare to celebrate our centennial, we’re engaging the community with various events and initiatives that honor our history while aiming for future growth."