Three friends with a lot of extra baby gear joined forces to create Baby2Baby, an LA charitable organization that collects and distributes new and gently used baby gear for families in need. Events are held at family locations around Los Angeles.

The group is always looking for volunteers, both in helping to organize new events and to help sort the donations that have already been received. High school students with community service requirements to fulfill are very welcome.

BookEnds is a SoCal nonprofit organization about kids helping kids. Student-run book drives encourage young people to recycle their books and share them with schools and youth organizations in need of books.

BookEnds is a SoCal nonprofit organization about kids helping kids. Student-run book drives encourage young people to recycle their books and share them with schools and youth organizations in need of books.

The Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra is a non-profit that offers free concerts for the community, at the Hall of Liberty at Forest Lawn and at the Burbank Starlight Bowl during the summer months.

The Charity Guide website offers a wealth of information and ideas for families looking for ways to serve and volunteer. Visitors can pick up suggestions on how to make the most of small gestures (how to make a difference in 15 minutes, an hour, or on vacation), and how to leverage a birthday party to remind kids (and adults) that giving really is better than receiving.

Cheerful Givers provides birthday gift bags for kids ages three to 12, distributing them at shelters and food pantries. Families can hold a Birthday Bag Blitz to put together gift bags, based on recommendations provided on the website.

Children Helping Poor and Homeless People (CHPHP) is an educational outreach program conducted by children and teens with adult advisors. Ongoing CHPHP programs include Routes for Homeless People, Outreach for People in Need, Adopt a Family Program, Adopt a Teen Program, Rent Supplement Program, Fund For People in Need, Animal Outreach, Thanksgiving In A Box Program, Theater Program, Transitional Counseling, The Speaker's Bureau, and Community Picnic and Softball Games.

Chores 4 Charity teaches children about charitable giving. Kids can do a chore for a parent, grandparent, friend, or neighbor and then donate their earnings from the chore to a children's charity.

Chores 4 Charity teaches children about charitable giving. Kids can do a chore for a parent, grandparent, friend, or neighbor and then donate their earnings from the chore to a children's charity.

Color a Smile's mission is a simple one - generate cheer by gathering children's drawings to distribute at nursing homes, attach to Meals on Wheels deliveries, and more. The result? A perfect opportunity for kids to generate good cheer by doing what they do best - putting crayon to paper and creating. Children can send in their own original drawings, or color in one of the printable pages available on the website.

Drawings (and donations, if you're so inclined) can be sent via mail to:

Color a Smile

P O BOX 1516

Morristown NJ 07962-1516

The Conejo Valley Botanic Garden covers 33 acres of unique terrain in Thousand Oaks. A significant portion of the Garden’s acreage is preserved as a natural habitat for birds and small animals, while the developed areas of the Garden include several specialty gardens.

The Nature Trail is three quarters of a mile long and meanders above the creek through oaks and willows. Sturdy shoes and bottled water are suggested. The Garden is closed during rainy weather.

The Kids Adventure Garden is open every Sunday from 11am to 3pm. The garden features a tree house, a zoo garden, a carnivorous plant bog, as well as periodic events and activities in the summer months.

Global Citizens Network sends short-term teams of volunteers to communities in other cultures. Participants immerse themselves in the culture and daily life of the community and partners with a local grassroots group to meet local needs.

Trips last one, two, or three weeks, depending on the site, and each team is led by a trained GCN team leader. Volunteers can be ages eight and up; a parent or guardian must accompany kids under the age of 18.

Habitat for Humanity is a charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to building simple, low-cost homes by forming partnerships with low-income families in need of decent and affordable housing. The organization believes homeownership is a vital step to help families break the cycle of poverty and contributes to pride in families and communities.

You don't need to be an expert in construction or a committee subject area to help out. There are many tasks that require only a willingness to learn and work with others. However, kids must be 16 years or older to help on the construction sites, and there must be one adult at a work site for every two kids. Due to the wonderful popularity of Habitat for Humanity, there is generally a two- to three-month wait to volunteer on a construction site.

The not-for-profit Humane Society offers information about pet adoption and boarding, dog training classes, pet loss support groups, and help in locating lost animals.

Local branches of the Society are often educational places to visit. The cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, and rodents appreciate the attention, and children - who must remain under adult supervision at all times - can show them some love. Adults can usually remove the animals from cages or pens for one-on-one interaction in visiting rooms.

Volunteer opportunities: can be found on the website, or visit or call your local chapter for information.

The not-for-profit Humane Society offers information about pet adoption and boarding, dog training classes, pet loss support groups, and help in locating lost animals.

Local branches of the Society are often educational places to visit. The cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, and rodents appreciate the attention, and children - who must remain under adult supervision at all times - can show them some love. Adults can usually remove the animals from cages or pens for one-on-one interaction in visiting rooms.

Volunteer opportunities: can be found on the website, or visit or call your local chapter for information.

Idealist is an interactive website where families can locate local volunteer opportunities. You can even sign up to receive daily alerts about new opportunities matching your interests.

The Jewish Learning Academy is an educational facility run by the religious group Chabad. The JLA offers a program called Kreative Kids for young children, accommodating little ones up to four years. Classes in this program include Mommy and Me, Music and Movement, Art, Hebrew, and Fitness. Moms are invited to take classes about Judaism while the kids are in class.

The Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum was founded by train enthusiasts in 1956 with the goal of educating people in railroad history and lore.

On Sundays the museum opens up to the public (weather permitting), inviting train enthusiasts for a rare treat aboard its unique, seven and a half gauge model trains. Extensive layouts of smaller gauge trains are also on display.

All displays and trains are built by members of the LALSRM, right down to planting the trees and the grass. Maintenance is supported by the donations requested for a ride on the train.

Passengers must be at least 34" in height and weigh under 350 lbs. to ride.

Make a Child Smile, also known as MACS, provides support to children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses and their families. Families looking for an opportunity to volunteer can visit the MACS website and learn about featured children and their illnesses, then send cards, letters, and small gifts to the featured children and their siblings through postal mail.

Each child's mailing address can be found on their story page, right next to their picture.

March of Dimes is dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

Volunteering opportunities and ideas are described on the website, from organizing fund-raising walks to letter campaigns. The website also provides link to local chapters.

Activities for youth volunteers to learn, serve, and lead are available through the Team Youth program.

Meals on Wheels provides meal services for senior citizens in need, and offers great opportunities for older children and families to explore community service and volunteering.

Visit the website to find opportunities near you.

The Museum of Tolerance is a high tech, hands-on, experiential museum that focuses on two themes through unique interactive exhibits: the dynamics of racism and prejudice in America and the history of the Holocaust - the ultimate example of man's inhumanity to man.

In the Holocaust section visitors are led back in time to become witnesses to the events of World War II.
Each visitor receives a different photo passport with the story of a child whose life was changed by the events of the Holocaust. Throughout the tour, the passport is updated, and at the end, the ultimate fate of the child is revealed. This is a wonderful, enlightening experience for older children and adults, and truly brings history to life.

Highlights of the Holocaust Section include a re-creation of a street in 1930's pre-war Berlin (at a cafe, people are discussing their concerns over the impending Nazi takeover of Germany); a reenactment of the famous Wannsee Conference where Nazi leaders met to decide on "The Final Solution of the Jewish Question" - the destruction of European Jewry; and the Hall of Testimony, where visitors can see and hear unforgettable stories of the courage and sacrifice of Holocaust survivors.

The Multimedia Learning Center houses over 30 work stations to provide each visitor unprecedented access to the history of world War II and the Holocaust.

Touch screen technology encourages personalized research in over 6,000 entries, 50,000 photos, video testimonies, maps and documents. Kids studying the Holocaust in history class will find the museum an invaluable resource.

Think that was all over at the end of WWII? Take the kids back down to the "museum level" and visit The Other America exhibit, which features a wall-sized, computer interactive map documenting and locating the more than 250 hate groups in the United States.

We recommend the Museum to families with older children due to its mature themes. Teenagers and middle schoolers will especially like the hands-on Tolerancenter which includes exhibits that invite exploration. Noteworthy are the Point of View Diner, a complete replica of a 50's diner with real booths and video juke boxes, and the Millenium Machnine, a high tech time machine educating visitors on abuses of civil rights.

A dramatic 16-screen video wall further details the struggle for civil rights in America, and other interactive exhibits engage visitors in real-life situations that help to identify their own existing and potential prejudices.

On a brighter note, the new Finding Our Families, Finding Ourselves exhibit showcases the diversity within the personal histories of several noted Americans: poet, best-selling author, historian and educator Dr. Maya Angelou; award-winning actor, comedian and director Billy Crystal; multiple Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana; and National League MVP and Manager of the four-time World Series Champions, the New York Yankees, Joe Torre.

The Museum Cafeteria, located on the 4th floor, provides light meals and snacks.

Family Membership is $65/year and includes a personalized membership card, free admission to the museum (spouse or guest and children under 18 also free), free commemorative poster, museum newsletter and calendar of events, discounts on films, workshops, lectures, classes and seminars, and on purchases at the Museum shop or through catalog, advance notice of special exhibits and events, and
opportunities for volunteer service in support of ongoing museum programs.

One Voice is a non profit organization helping families living at poverty level. Its programs span from providing emergency relief services to families in immediate crisis to a scholarship program.

The holiday food program provides Christmas food baskets and toys to 2,500 families (12,500 people) living below poverty level within the Los Angeles area.

Operation Goody Bag is designed to express appreciation for the sacrifices made by America's first responders, and to develop in students an awareness of the value of service.

The program ships brown lunch bags, hand colored with patriotic themes and filled with candy, gum, a personal letter, original poetry, and puzzles to US military personnel as well as local Fire, Rescue, Ambulance, and K9 organizations, Veterans' Homes, VFW Posts, military hospitals, and US military academies.

Information about how to help, including donating, creating brown bag art, and writing letters to be included in the bags, can be found on the website.

The Orange County Model Engineers operate the Mackerel Flats and Goat Hill Junction Railroad - a seven and a half inch gauge railroad over a five mile layout of track at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa.

A typical trip takes about 12 minutes and covers two loops of the park, taking in bridges and terrain variations that include the back of the Costa Mesa Golf Course. There are generally plenty of birds, squirrels, and rabbits to be spotted along the way as well, as the park is a wild life preserve.

The non-profit club opens its trains to the public for rides the third weekend of every month. The ride-on trains are also available for birthday parties on Saturdays. Parties require a minimum donation to the club of $150. Reservations should be made well in advance at 949.548.7246.

Pasadena Education Network, or PEN as it's widely known by parents, serves as a resource for Pasadena-area families interested in enrolling the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). The group holds several workshops throughout the year to help parents explore the school choices available within PUSD, to understand the enrollment process, and to overcome misinformation about public education.

One child's great idea - "What if every child gave up one birthday, just one, by giving instead of receiving? How many sick children could we help?" - has grown into a non-profit dream.

Children register with the Fund, select a hospital where children are treated that will benefit, ask friends to bring a check for the hospital to the birthday party, then make a date with the hospital to present the donation.

The Fund sends participants an official Peter Pan Birthday Club Certificate and Order of Pan crest pin. Children and teens who participate are also eligible for consideration for induction into The Second Star to the Right Hall of Fame.

The Points of Light Foundation and the Hands On Network connect individuals to local volunteer opportunities that match their interests and skills.

The Kids Care Clubs initiative gives young people a jump start on becoming active in their communities, providing children in elementary and middle school with ideas and a framework for organizing volunteer programs. Each month, the website posts different service projects, which include step-by-step instructions, compassion and issues education, meeting activities, additional resources, and information on possible service partners.

The Points of Light Foundation and the Hands On Network connect individuals to local volunteer opportunities that match their interests and skills.

The Kids Care Clubs initiative gives young people a jump start on becoming active in their communities, providing children in elementary and middle school with ideas and a framework for organizing volunteer programs. Each month, the website posts different service projects, which include step-by-step instructions, compassion and issues education, meeting activities, additional resources, and information on possible service partners.

Need to raise money for your school? Tired of bake sales? PTO Ideas is dedicated to helping weary Parent-Teacher organizations revitalize the fund-raising process.

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is the oldest and largest children's and family nonprofit literacy organization in the United States. Through community volunteers in every state and US territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year.

Volunteering opportunities abound, particularly for high school and college students who can donate time to read to and teach young children. Check the website for local programs.

Rebuilding Together's mission is to preserve affordable housing by bringing volunteers and communities together to rehabilitate the homes of low-income homeowners.

The organization's signature event, Rebuilding Day, takes place each year in April, but affiliates work year round in many parts of the country, delivering emergency services, home modifications, and green building to conserve energy and consumption.

There are more than 245 Ronald McDonald Houses in 26 countries, offering support and practical assistance to families with very sick children. It's a safe bet that your local chapter can always use volunteers.

Share Our Strength (SOS) is a national nonprofit that organizes individuals and businesses to share their strengths to help end hunger. Using innovative approaches - from holding volunteer-led special events across the country to developing cause-related marketing ventures and corporate partnerships - SOS goal is to end childhood hunger in America.

In addition to donating money, parents can participate in a number of SOS' programs, including The Great American Bake Sale, Taste of the Nation, Operation Frontline, and A Tasteful Pursuit.