Volunteer Opportunities
Looking for volunteer opportunities? Need to fulfill service hours? Below are a variety of ways that USC Trojans can get involved in service:
- USC Programs
- USC Student Organizations/Clubs
- Local Nonprofits
- Community Organizations in LA County (Database)
- Volunteer Center Newsletter
USC Programs
These are programs supported by USC departments and have dedicated staff to support student volunteers. Some programs are on campus and some are off campus.
Friends & Neighbors Day – Volunteer at one of the monthly service days coordinated by the Volunteer Center. FND gives students the flexibility to volunteer when they have they have time to attend an FND event. You can try a different opportunity each time, or stick with something more familiar. If you love an organization you volunteered at, you can follow up with them whenever you like to get further involved. Follow us on Facebook or our Newsletter to find out about upcoming events.
Jumpstart -Help Jumpstart close the achievement gap by providing high quality language and literacy education to preschool students in low-income communities. USC students are trained as teachers and reading partners, and spend 8-12 hours a week in team settings to implement a rich curriculum and engage local families and community leaders to invest in early childhood education. Facebook. Contact: jstart@usc.edu
SAT Tutoring for the TRIO Program – Mentor and tutor high school students that are part of USC’s TRIO programs succeed on their SAT’s! The TRIO Students attend a Saturday Academy every Saturday during the Fall and Spring Semesters on USC’s Campus to attend classes in English, Reading and Comprehension, Math and SAT Prep. For further information on how you can volunteer to help tutor and mentor these students, please contact: Pablo Escobar (213) 821-2746 or pescobar@usc.edu
USC Student Organizations
The Recognized Student Organizations (RSO’s) that are service-based at USC. Over the summer these profiles are inactive so visit these links during the academic year. Please click on the subcategories to see what organizations you may be able to join:
If you are an RSO and would like to be included/removed from one of the categories above please send your request, information about your club and how it’s service-based, and your engageSC link to serveon@usc.edu. Inactive RSO’s are ineligible. Last updated Feb 2017.
Local Non-Profits
These are organizations that have partnered with us consistently for Friends & Neighbors Day. These nonprofits may offer short-term or long-term volunteer opportunities. Please contact the organizations directly for more information.
Blazer Youth Services Community Club (Distance: Walking/Metro) – Help nurture social skills, foster critical thinking and enrich education with inner-city students. Contact: info@theblazers.org
Kitty Bungalow Charm School for Wayward Cats (Distance: Metro/Car) – help manage feral cats births by providing free spay and neuters and socialize them and get them ready for adoption. Contact : kittybungalow@gmail.com
Lamp Community (Distance: Metro/Car)– Aid in supporting the chronically homeless by protecting, preserving and protecting the civil rights of this group and the Permanent Supportive Housing that the Lamp Community provides. Contact: volunteer@lampcommunity.org
LA’s Promise (Distance: Walking)- help teachers setup their classrooms and get the campus school ready and student friendly. Contact: volunteer@laspromise.org
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank (Distance: Metro/Car)- help sort, inspect, and repackage donated food items from local food drives. Contact: jmcilvain@lafoodbank.org
Natural History Museum (Distance: Walking)- Get your hands dirty as you help our garden team with projects like mulching, pruning, and composting while spending some time in the gorgeous Nature Gardens. Contact: volunteer@nhm.org
Paws LA (Distance: Car)– Deliver food to homebound and disabled client’s pets. Contact: jmeeks@pawsla.org
St. Francis Center (Distance: Metro/Car) – Feed, serve, and walk with the poor as a community of hope in the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi. Contact: volunteer@sfcla.org
Additional Resources
- Search through our Community Partner Database to find even more nonprofits that match your interests!
- Subscribe to our monthly Volunteer Newsletter for news on local service events and calls for volunteers.
- Search for current service-based student groups on engageSC and visit Campus Activities Fall/Spring Involvement Fairs at the start of each semester.
