Volunteer
Why Volunteer
Our volunteers are the heart of The Laurel Foundation. Each year, over 200 volunteers donate approximately 13,500 hours to improve the lives of at-risk children, youth, and families who are living with HIV/AIDS, and transgender/gender diverse youth. Volunteers are truly the backbone of The Laurel Foundation. They are the change agents in the lives of the children, youth and families that we serve.
Growth
When you volunteer with The Laurel Foundation it will be because you want to change the life of a child, but what you will discover is that your life will also be changed tremendously and you will grow in ways you never thought possible.
Impact
Through our extensive trainings and intensive volunteer experiences, The Laurel Foundation is not only changing the lives of at-risk children affected by HIV/AIDS, transgender youth and other at-risk youth populations, but developing dynamic leaders who are using their learned skills to better their communities and to change the world.
Community
By volunteering with The Laurel Foundation you will become part of a vast network of creative, passionate and talented individuals working in a variety of socially dynamic professions, but most importantly you will become part of a community that feels like family.
Ready to join the team?
Title
The Laurel Foundation’s programs are driven by our volunteers. With year-round programming offered to the youth and families we serve, there is always something to get involved in.
PROGRAMS
Winter Camp 2023 will take place on Presidents’ Day Weekend, February 18-21. This is a shorter camp for kids and parents!
Camp Laurel is our week-long residential camp for 6-17-year-olds impacted by HIV/AIDs.
Camp Mulberry is our week-long residential camp for transgender and gender-diverse youth ages 6-17.
Click here to find out more about our camps.
Day Programs
Throughout the year, there are opportunities to connect with our young people through various day events. We are honored to partner with UCLA’s Pediatric AIDS Coalition and Hollywood Heart in creating unique opportunities for our campers to experience different workshops, excursions, and experiences. Our volunteers participate alongside our campers, offering guidance and continuing to foster relationships started at camp.
Seasonal Events
We love an opportunity to celebrate being together in the community! Some ways that we do this are through our Back to School event, Halloween Jamboree, Holiday Party, and more. We always need tons of volunteers to help plan, set up, and run these events. Are you an events planner or a party pro? We’d love to have you on the team!
Recruiting and Logistics Help
Not all of our volunteer jobs involve being camp counselors. There are so many ways to help us, and having help in these ways makes a tremendous impact.
Recruiting: Our presence in the community is the best way to make sure people know about the programs we offer for young people and families. Tabling at events, visiting clubs, and organizations, and spreading the word to both potential counselors and campers is an enormous job. We always need help representing The Laurel Foundation out in the world. We’d love to have you join us.
Logistics: Camps and events are a lot of work. There are lots of supplies, lots of organizing, lots of food needs, and lots of stuff to set up. If you’re a more behind-the-scenes kind of volunteer, we’d so deeply appreciate your help.
The Laurel Foundation’s volunteers come from a wide variety of backgrounds and life experiences. Whether you are a student, a working professional, or just someone with a passion for working with kids, there are so many different ways to get involved! BIPOC, LGBTQI+ folks, and members of the HIV community are highly encouraged to join us.
No matter the volunteer role, all of our volunteers must be:
- 18 years of age.
- Vaccinated against COVID-19.
- Able to pass a criminal background check.
Questions? Email our Director of Volunteers.
Ready to volunteer?
The volunteer process begins by emailing our Director of Volunteers, let us know a little about who you are and what you’d like to do!
After that, you’ll have a phone interview, and if everyone feels like we’re a match you’ll continue on with the next steps.
Everyone working with our children and youth will need to get a clear background check.
Those volunteering at residential camps will also be asked to participate in a group interview.
If selected all our volunteers must attend a 2-day training, be CPR/First Aid Certified, and complete a TB test and medical physical.
Resident camp job descriptions
All of this is painless, and in place to protect the precious folks we are lucky enough to work with. We’re here for you if you have any questions! Getting in touch is the first step.
Volunteer Opportunies & News
What our volunteers have to say…
Camp is a time to forget about the worries in our own lives and make a child smile! It is a time to just be silly and send out some good love and get some back!
The kids at Camp Laurel are unlike any I’ve encountered before. I’ve never met such a spirited, enthusiastic, entertaining, intelligent, and loving group before in my life.
The Laurel Foundation will change your life; it brings out the best in all of us and is hard to imagine a better group of people.
Camp has taught me that it is possible for a group of people, no matter how different, to work together and build a community that makes things better for each other.
