Cities across the United States depend on volunteers that give off their time and talents everyday to make our communities a better place. People volunteer for a variety of reasons. Many people want to gain experience, acquire new skills, meet new people, or to give back to their community. In West Covina, volunteers have been serving the community by helping our Police and Fire Departments, staffing community events, cleaning city parks, participating in an internship, or through membership in a local non-profit civic organization. The City’s volunteers represent the City’s diversity; including seniors, minorities, students, professionals, families, faith-based or community groups, and many more. In West Covina, volunteerism has become a way of daily life for many of our residents.  

Community Involvement Opportunities 

The City of West Covina has very active, civic based organizations that are part of the City's Community Service Group (i.e. Lions, Elks, Rotary, and many other clubs). To learn more about these organizations, please visit the West Covina Community Service Group page.  

This group also coordinates the City's Annual Community Service Day, where West Covina celebrates volunteerism with a day dedicated to service to better our community.  Please visit the Community Service Day page for more details.

Volunteer Opportunities with the City of West Covina

To learn more about volunteer opportunities in our community, please see the information below:

• Adopt a Park Program:  The goal of the Adopt a Park Program is to involve individuals, local businesses, civic and community organizations in the beautification and maintenance of West Covina’s parks through volunteerism, donations, and sponsorships. This cooperative venture celebrates community spirit and fosters civic responsibility. The Adopt a Park Program enhances the condition and beauty of our City parks and allows the City to better leverage its scarce resources throughout the park system, expand the recreational benefits for all park visitors, and to provide a venue for community service projects. Organizations interested in adopting a park can contact the Community Services Department at (626) 939-8489.

 Adopt A Park Application

• Explorer Programs: Both the West Covina Police and Fire Departments offer Explorer Programs to provide young adults the opportunity to gain valuable experience in public safety.

• The Fire Explorer Program is offered to young adults between the ages of 15 to 21 years of age the opportunity to become part of its explorer program. Fire explorers meet once a week at one of the five City Fire Stations. Fire explorers learn fire-fighting skills, ladder techniques, salvage operations, the proper use of fire-fighting tools and equipment like breathing apparatus, basic first aid, patient vital sign assessment, and other related subjects.  If you are interested in becoming an Explorer, contact the Fire Administration at (626) 939-8824.

• The Police Explorer Program is an excellent opportunity for youth to explore the concepts of law enforcement and the policing profession. West Covina Police Explorer Post 499 has about 20 Explorer positions, for youth between the ages of 14 and 21. The Explorers attend a 13-week Academy which focuses on law, discipline, and self-control. After completing the Academy, the Explorers meet every Thursday at the Police Department for continued training by Police Officers. Throughout the years, Explorer Post 499 has won many awards at Explorer competitions. We have continuous recruitment, so if you are interested, contact (626) 939-8557.

• Galster Park Wilderness Center: Have you always wanted to be a park volunteer and share your love of nature with others? The City of West Covina, in partnership with the San Gabriel Valley Mountains Regional Conservancy (SGMRC), provides training to help you become a volunteer at the Nature Center at Galster Park. The nature education program is dependent upon volunteers to serve as docents, trail guides, office personnel, program presenters, and assistants. For more information please contact the Nature Center at (626) 919-0715.

• Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP):  Through the program, volunteers assist in daily activities in the Fire Department. RSVP also assist with emergency response support in traffic control, fire personnel and customer support, equipment reconnaissance, and providing support duties on the emergency scene to firefighters. For further information regarding this program please call the West Covina Fire Department at (626) 939-8824. 

• West Covina Police Volunteer Program (Formerly known as SHOP): The West Covina Police Volunteer program has expanded its volunteer opportunities for citizens to channel their energy back into the community by performing nonhazardous public safety duties on a volunteer basis, freeing up police officers to fulfill essential emergency and law enforcement duties in the field. West Covina Police Volunteers work two-person teams in fully equipped, marked vehicles, seven days a week performing duties such as marking abandoned or illegally parked vehicles, performing vacation house checks for residents, serving subpoenas and issuing parking citations.  If you are 40 or older, in good physical condition, possess a valid California driver’s license, and are willing to put in a minimum of four hours of volunteer service per week, call (626) 939-8500 for more information.

• Cortez Park Community & Senior Center: Volunteers at the Center work on the many different facets of this well-run organization. This ranges from social services, to food preparation, and to working at the front desk helping people understand all the programs we offer. Volunteers will foster meaningful, real world experiences and be given an opportunity to gain a better understanding and experience of the Cortez Park Community & Senior Center while working side by side with peers, staff and seniors. For more information please contact the Cortez Park Community & Senior Center at (626) 331-5366.

For other volunteer opportunities not listed (i.e. internships, community event volunteer, etc.) please contact the Community Services Department at (626) 939-8489.

Additional  Volunteer Organizations

• America's Natural and Cultural Resources Volunteer Portal www.volunteer.gov
• Corporation for National & Community Service www.nationalservice.gov
• Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services Volunteer Program www.dpss.lacounty.gov
• Peace Corps www.peacecorps.gov 
• Volunteermatch www.volunteermatch.org 
• Just Serve www.JustServe.org

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