Overview:
This article reports on Community Loving’s donation and volunteer event at Alondra Park in Lawndale, California, on January 18. It highlights the organization’s efforts to provide clothing, toys, and other essentials to local residents while engaging volunteers in meaningful roles. The piece also discusses preparation activities, best practices in volunteer engagement, and the ongoing impact of Community Loving’s work in supporting families and individuals in the community.
Community Support at Alondra Park
Maria Cornejo from Presence News stopped by Community Loving on Sunday, January 18, as it was hosting a donation and volunteer event at Alondra Park in Lawndale, California.
Donations and Activities
Community Loving brought together seven vendors who donated clothing, toys, books, baby essentials, and toiletries. The group also offered a community art program, giving children materials and a platform to create art.
Volunteer-Led Efforts
Community Loving was founded in 2021 by Morea Sabido and is supported by volunteers who help organize and package donated items. Volunteers sign up through Community Loving’s Linktree and can help with everything from loading trucks, setting up stands, and organizing donations to cleaning up afterwards.
Volunteer Roles and Logistics
Volunteers sign up through Community Loving’s Linktree and can assist in a range of roles, including loading trucks, setting up stands, organizing donated items, and cleaning up after events. Many of the volunteering opportunities start at 10:45 am. After the completion of each event, the collected resources are packed into a U-Haul van and taken back to the storage unit located in Hawthorne, California.
Preparation Behind the Scenes
Additionally, Community Loving has sorting events prior to the donation dates. This event also gives the community a chance to sort their donations at the storage facility located in Hawthorne. This encourages communities to donate items that they, in turn, can use. This also supports the donation event held at Lawndale.
Best Practices in Volunteer Engagement
Community Loving’s volunteer model reflects common best practices in nonprofit organizations. According to a volunteer engagement guide published by Giveeffect: “A successful volunteer engagement strategy offers volunteers a variety of t meaningful ways in which they can engage, while clearly structuring responsibilities.” Community Loving has assigned different tasks, such as setup, distribution, and cleanup, making the environment both structured and welcoming for the community members as well as for the volunteers.
Ongoing Community Impact
Community members attending the event arrived with bags to collect items they needed, while others contributed by donating goods or financial support by appointment. Morea is also planning a larger upcoming event as Community Loving continues its efforts to support families and individuals across the community.
Sources:
Giveffect — “Volunteer Engagement: 7 Strategies Smart Nonprofits Swear By”
Editor’s Disclaimer:
This article is based on reporting from a Community Loving event held at Alondra Park in Lawndale, California. All information has been verified to the best of our ability at the time of publication. Presence News provides this coverage for informational purposes to highlight local community events and volunteer initiatives.
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