Just a quick update for Angelenos interested in helping firefighters and evacuees.  A woman named Leigh Brockway posted this list of Fire Stations and Evacuation Shelters accepting donations and volunteers on her blog.

American Red Cross - Greater Los Angeles Area: 866-548-8226

Fire Stations that are accepting food and water donations:

Shelters:

Red Cross Evacuation Shelter
Verdugo Hills High School
10625 Plainview Ave
Tujunga, CA 91042

Marie Kerr Park
2723 Rancho Vista Blvd
Palmdale, CA 93551
(661) 267-5551

Golden Valley High School
27051 Robert C Lee Parkway
Santa Clarita CA 91350

La Cañada High School.
4463 Oak Grove Dr,
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011-3797

Also:

VCA Animal Hospitals are offering free boarding for the pets of people affected by the fires.

More about making sure evacuees pets aren’t left behind, a la Katrina.

Here’s an Armchair Do-gooding idea for people interested in making their bachelorette/bachelor party more meaningful and memorable.  Choose an organization whose cause is close to your heart and get a group of your best friends together for a day of service.  There’s no need to cut out good ol’ fun, either—start in the morning with a volunteer activity and end with an evening of tequila shots.  Or you could make a weekend out of it: How about a Nevada Habitat for Humanity build and then a good, old fashioned Las Vegas blowout?

My bachelorette party went a little something like this: Brunch at Madeleine Bistro (having eclipsed the age where I can still hold my liquor, I opted for beignets instead of booze), an afternoon volunteering at Animal Acres, and a picnic lunch afterward.  It was perfect for me and enjoyed by all.

Not sure where to start? VolunteerMatch is a good place to begin…

This past summer, I started a project called “The Volunteer Chronicles.” I set out to volunteer with a variety Los Angeles organizations, and wrote about the experience over at blogging.la. The idea was to measure the personal effects - physical, emotional, psycho-spiritual - of volunteering, and also to provide detailed descriptions of different volunteer opportunities, to help others choose ideal organizations for themselves. Believe it or not, numerous studies have shown that doing good is good for you. Some have even demonstrated a measurable correlation between volunteering and good health. Volunteering can promote a sense of well-being, bolster the immune system, reduce insomnia, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, help keep weight in check, raise energy levels, increase relaxation, and volunteers have ultimately been shown to live longer lives.

Volunteer opportunites of all shapes and sizes abound throughout Los Angeles and beyond. Some of the incredible people who I’ve met through this project volunteer on a daily basis, some weekly or monthly, but they all rave about the positive effects volunteering has on their lives.

You can read about my experiences thus far by following these links:

The Volunteer Chronicles: Meals on Wheels West
The Volunteer Chronicles: BREATHE LA
The Volunteer Chronicles: Free Arts for Abused Children
The Volunteer Chronicles: Amanda Foundation, a No-Kill Shelter for Dogs and Cats

Being that I’m a total dog person, I got kind of hooked on the Amanda Foundation. Not only does it make me happy to no end, the hours are totally flexible, I can drop in whenever I choose, and it’s really convenient to where I live. I’m long overdue for my next volunteer gig, but I’ll get it on the books and post the link here in an update when it’s done.