Community Corner
Patch Picks: Five Ways to Volunteer in Palo Alto
From film fests to creek clean-ups, the following are five ways to get involved in the community.
Looking for a way to be philantropic with your time? In Palo Alto there are a slew of volunteer opportunities for all interests, from tutoring to getting your hands dirty cleaning up creeks. Here are five of the ways you can tap into the community, and have fun in the process.
Environmentalists. Palo Alto is graced with three creeks, San Francisquito, Matadero and Adobe, yet they become littered with trash throughout the year. The city hosts a handful of creek coastal clean-up days: the next is September 17, 2011. Volunteers make a difference: during the last clean-up day on May 21, volunteers collected 50 lbs of trash, 1.5 lbs of polystyrene, 59 plastic water bottles, 1.5 lbs of cardboard and paper, 145 cigarette butts, 5 lbs of glass bottles, and 21 aluminum cans from Matadero creek alone!
Film buffs. The Palo Alto International Film Festival will lasso in creative films spanning the globe. To put together the ins and outs of the festival, held September 29 to October 2, they are seeking volunteers in roles ranging from a “field photographer” to an administrative assistant. The perks include a free T-shirt (of course) and free screenings to some of the films. To apply, you can fill out a form of their website.
Book worms. If the library is your ultimate alcove, consider lending a hand at one of the Palo Alto city libraries. Helpers don’t just shelve books; they can also work with children, serve as art instructors, and deliver materials to homebound patrons. Interested? You can fill out an application on their website.
Education advocates. Gifted at tuning a violin? Eager to give math lessons? Want to accompany your child on their class field trips? The Palo Alto Unified School District offers a variety of opportunities for parents or community members to lend a hand, all which they detail on their website.
Humanitarian scientists (or science minded folks). Local company Benetech is looking for help bringing science to a wider audience, from writing descriptions in high school science textbooks to doing outreach to senior centers. Interested? They detail all of their activities on their website.
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