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General Information

Our goal is to inspire Trojan students, staff, and alumni to ignite and continue their passion for community service during their time at USC and beyond. Participate in our signature day of service to make an impact in your surrounding community! 

Project descriptions may be updated throughout the month.  After registering, volunteers receive a confirmation email 1-3 days before the day of FND with details about their site, check-in instructions, and agenda for the day. Check-in times vary for different projects so please read your confirmation email. Volunteers will meet at Steven Kathryn Sample Hall (SKS) to check-in for FND. 

Registration for our 1st FND will open soon!

Please register for our newsletter for updates!

Project Descriptions

Click the arrows to read the descriptions for our event on Saturday March 23rd

  • Breakfast and Lunch will be provided at USC.
  • Off campus sites include free transportation from USC’s main campus. 
  • Times below do not include the time it takes to get to and from your site.

Santa Monica Beach Cleanup – Off Campus, Metro covered (10:30am-12:30pm) 
Santa Monica State Beach is a California State Park operated by the city of Santa Monica. At 3.5 miles long, Santa Monica State Beach is a heavily trafficked location for its beauty and entertainment offerings. Unfortunately, high foot-traffic has resulted in a large amount of trash left in the sand. This project focuses on collecting litter and disposing it in Santa Monica’s trash bins. If you are new to California, or Los Angeles, this is a great way to help the environment, meet new friends, and enjoy the ocean breeze. The team will leave USC for this site at or slightly before 10:00am.

USC Neighborhood Cleanup – Off Campus, Walking (10:00am-12:00pm)
Housing on campus is very limited, so many students live in apartments and houses in the neighborhood surrounding USC. This project focuses on cleaning up our local streets west of Vermont Ave in an effort to give back to the community that has welcomed and housed so many of our Trojan Family. This is a great way for students to begin to develop good relationships with University Park’s long-term residents. The team will leave USC for this site at or slightly before 10:00am.

TBD

Community Services Unlimited  Off Campus, Walking (9:00am-12:00pm) Ages 16+
Get your hands dirty, break a sweat and deepen your relationship with growing. This project supports access to locally sourced fruits and vegetables to the community of south central Los Angeles. The team will leave USC for this site at or slightly before 8:45am. [A USC Good Neighbors Program]

Food Forward Off Campus, Uber (10:00am-12:00pm) Ages 16+
Harvest food, fight hunger, and build community! We harvest beautiful, fresh fruit that would otherwise go to waste and donate 100% to local hunger relief organizations. Join the Volunteer Harvest Team to help us harvest as much fruit as possible from trees, and then pack it into boxes to be donated. Please wear closed toe shoes. 

Santa Monica Beach Cleanup – Off Campus, Metro train covered (10:30am-12:30pm) 
Santa Monica State Beach is a California State Park operated by the city of Santa Monica. At 3.5 miles long, Santa Monica State Beach is a heavily trafficked location for its beauty and entertainment offerings. Unfortunately, high foot-traffic has resulted in a large amount of trash left in the sand. This project focuses on collecting litter and disposing it in Santa Monica’s trash bins. If you are new to California, or Los Angeles, this is a great way to help the environment, meet new friends, and enjoy the ocean breeze. The team will leave USC for this site at or slightly before 10:00am.

SOLA Community Peace Center – Off Campus, Walking (9:00am-12:00pm)
Join us in building a serene haven right in the heart of our community! SOLA Community Peace Center and St. Marks Lutheran Church invite you to be part of their Peace Pocket Park project on 36th Place. Volunteers will clear the space, add ground cloth and mulch, and help transform the space into a lush oasis with native plants, creating a more peaceful and beautiful community for all to enjoy!

africActive – Off Campus, Metro covered (10:30am-1:00pm) Ages 18+
africActive is a local non-profit organization focused on tackling food insecurity within the South Central Los Angeles community. africActive works through community organizations and local churches in Los Angeles and throughout Africa. The org transforms lives and communities by offering free resources and services that address immediate and long-term needs. Volunteers will be distributing food to community members at a local park. The team will leave USC for this site at or slightly before 10:00am.

Snack Packs – On Campus  (10:00am – 12:30pm) 
Food insecurity continues to affect members of our community at an all-time high. This Women’s History Month, the Volunteer Center is partnering with the Downtown Women’s Center to assemble bag lunches for women within our community of Los Angeles. In addition, we will be drawing on the lunch sacks to make them more colorful! 

Food Forward Off Campus, Uber (10:00am-12:00pm) Ages 16+
Harvest food, fight hunger, and build community! We harvest beautiful, fresh fruit that would otherwise go to waste and donate 100% to local hunger relief organizations. Join the Volunteer Harvest Team to help us harvest as much fruit as possible from trees, and then pack it into boxes to be donated. Please wear closed toe shoes. 

LA Food Bank – Off Campus, Uber covered (9:00am-1:00pm) Ages 18+
By donating a few hours of your time, volunteers will help the Los Angeles Food Bank provide food for the 2 million people in Los Angeles County who face food insecurity. Volunteers help by boxing, sorting and gleaning food that is later distributed through the LA Food Bank’s network of nearly 700 agency partners to our neighbors in need. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. The team will leave USC for this site at or slightly before 8:15am.

GNC Logo

These nonprofit partners are GNC grantees! All Trojans can sign up to volunteer at these projects as well. 

Community Services Unlimited  Off Campus, Walking (9:00am-12:00pm) Ages 16+
Get your hands dirty, break a sweat and deepen your relationship with growing. This project supports access to locally sourced fruits and vegetables to the community of south central Los Angeles. The team will leave USC for this site at or slightly before 8:45am. [A USC Good Neighbors Program]

Hygiene Kits – On Campus (10:00am-12:00pm) 
Join us in assembling essential hygiene kits for fellow Trojans in need. This will also include drawing / coloring and writing notes for fellow students. These care packages will be donated to the Trojan Food Pantry, ensuring that every USC student has access to hygiene essentials.

Snack Packs – On Campus  (10:00am – 12:30pm) 
Food insecurity continues to affect members of our community at an all-time high. This Women’s History Month, the Volunteer Center is partnering with the Downtown Women’s Center to assemble bag lunches for women within our community of Los Angeles. In addition, we will be drawing on the lunch sacks to make them more colorful! 

LA Food Bank – Off Campus, Uber covered (9:00am-1:00pm) Ages 18+
By donating a few hours of your time, volunteers will help the Los Angeles Food Bank provide food for the 2 million people in Los Angeles County who face food insecurity. Volunteers help by boxing, sorting and gleaning food that is later distributed through the LA Food Bank’s network of nearly 700 agency partners to our neighbors in need. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. The team will leave USC for this site at or slightly before 8:15am.

FAQs

How do I register to volunteer?

Registration typically opens 3 weeks before each FND date, and closes on the Thursday before FND or when spots run out. Registration is strongly recommended, but we will accept some walk ins between 8:00-9:00am and place you at a site with available space!

 

Check out which sites are available by reading the project descriptions and sign up by clicking the registration form button found above.

 

Some volunteers will also be asked via an email to register directly with the nonprofit if required.

What if I need accommodations to participate in FND?

Individuals with disabilities who need accommodations to attend this event may contact Judy Sandoval at 213-740-4662 or judithsa@usc.edu. It is requested that individuals requiring accommodations or auxiliary aids such as sign language interpreters and alternative format materials notify us at least seven days prior to the event. Every reasonable effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations in an effective and timely manner.

When and where is FND?

FND for the 2023-2024  academic year will take place on August 19, September 16, October 14, November 11, January 27, February 24, and March 27.

Most dates, we will meet in the morning outside of Steven Kathryn Sample (SKS) or at Alumni Park. Please check our FND webpage and/or your confirmation email for the meeting location. 

Who can participate in FND?

Events are open to all current USC Students, alumni, faculty, and staff. The Volunteer Center operates its programs in accordance with USC’s Notice of Non-Discrimination.

How can RSOs get involved in FND?
  1. The best time for RSOs to sign up for FND is at the beginning of each semester. We will post the RSO form on our newsletter and linktree on instagram. Your RSO can sign up any time during the semester if the RSO form is open, but later in the semester we may no longer be able to place your group members in only 1 project. 
  2. RSO’s that signed up early will be contacted 3-4 weeks before FND, given a few days to select their top choices AND to register their members before to the form opens to all students. All participating members must complete the FND Registration Form.  
  3. Once FND registration is open to all, we can no longer guarantee spots at a specific project site to your RSO. It will be first come, first serve. 
What other ways can RSOs get involved with the Volunteer Center?
  1. The Volunteer Center hosts small-scale one-time events called Trojans Serve. If your RSO wants to participate or co-sponsor a small event that does not take place on FND’s dates, then Trojans Serve is your best alternative. Volunteer events for Trojans Serve can be scheduled for almost any day/time of the week depending on our staff’s availability. Some limited funding is available. Please contact serveon@usc.edu and mention Trojans Serve in the subject. 
  2. If you have an event that you want us to advertise please submit the info on our Volunteer Opportunities Calendar. If we accept your submission, we will also share it on our newsletter.
What should volunteers wear and bring to FND?

We recommend you bring sunglasses, a refillable water bottle, hats/caps, put on sunscreen, and wear close toed shoes. Specific requirements for project sites will be sent to all registrants.

Will breakfast or lunch be provided?

For FND events, yes, we provide breakfast snacks to grab-n-go during check-in such as muffins, breakfast bars, fruit, coffee, and lunch upon your return to campus!

For ServeLA (our collab event with UCLA) lunch is not always possible because of staff and/or logistics. If lunch is included for ServeLA, this information will be on our flyers, webpage, and on the confirmation email. 

What if I’m running late for FND? Can I go to the site directly using my own transportation?

We want to respect our community partners by arriving to their sites on time. If you are running late to FND, you risk your group leaving without you! Depending on the time of your arrival you may be able to be placed in another project but this is not guaranteed. 

 

Do not travel to the site without communicating with a staff member of the USC Volunteer Center. If you wish to provide your own transportation reach out to us PRIOR to FND at serveon@usc.edu. We will do our best to respond during our office hours: Mon-Fri, 9:30am – 5:00pm.

Where will volunteers serve during FND?

We offer various sites for FND throughout the Los Angeles community! For specific site information, click on a category and scroll through each site.

How can USC students get involved in service after FND?

– Check out all USC Volunteer Center platforms https://linktr.ee/serveonusc 

– Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram.

– View our Volunteer Opportunities Calendar

– Reach out directly to nonprofits that you’ve enjoyed or that you are interested in to inquire about continuing opportunities.

– Search service-based recognized student organizations on engage and apply to become a member. 

– Visit Trojan Homelessness Response for USC-affiliated organizations working on homelessness in Los Angeles.

Why doesn’t a project site show up on the registration form?

If a project site is missing, then it hasn’t been confirmed or is unable to host volunteers this time.

 

If it states “0 remaining” on the drop-down list in the registration form, then that project site has reached full capacity, and we invite you to select an alternative site instead. 

Can I donate to the USC Volunteer Center?

Yes, please help support our Volunteer Center and Friends & Neighbors Day by giving to USC. If you are interested in donating, please visit our donation page and contact us serveon@usc.edu if you have further questions.  

Please reach out to serveon@usc.edu for any additional questions or concerns. 

Are there any COVID-19 requirements?

Participants should expect to follow all rules and guidance set forth from the university, the City of Los Angeles, LA Public Health, and nonprofit staff to be able to volunteer in service projects.  Some sites may require proof of COVID vaccine or recommend/require wearing face masks. Instructions will be detailed in your confirmation email and by your site supervisor. Volunteers are required to adhere to each community partner’s specific health requirements and protocols.

Partners