Volunteerism is the act of contributing free labor to conduct service or support for a nonprofit organization. Volunteering is similar to a job in that the volunteer willingly lends their effort and expertise to a company or organization, but differs in that compensation is not expected; there is no exchange of labor for pay. When an individual volunteers, they do so based on a willingness to aid those in need, to give back to a community or aid a higher purpose. To volunteer is to give up time, resources, and skills for a cause you care about. While valuable work experience may be a side benefit of volunteer work, it is not usually the principle draw, often secondary to a deep-seeded commitment to the cause at hand. People often exchange labor for pay in industries and organizations they do not care about, and some professional skills are developed solely to increase an individual’s professional market value, not because they enjoy the work itself. One can volunteer in a wide variety of ways, from working on-site, to assisting from the comfort of their own home. In both cases, they are lending a helping hand in some fashion to help those who need it most. ​

Volunteering has a truly vast array of benefits, some tangible, others more abstract, transforming the volunteer from the inside out. I have had the privilege of volunteering in several different industries around Los Angeles, including childcare, the elementary school system, medical clinics, public foundations, and human-service nonprofits. I can personally testify to how revitalizing and fulfilling it is to assist organizations that need help, and to see how this directly impacts the surrounding community. Observing this process motivates me to do more to help those in need and provides a sense of belonging and purpose within a wider community. Volunteering has also influenced my future career path, making me determined to use my interests in law, history, and public policy to benefit vulnerable and disenfranchised communities. In short, volunteerism has impacted my life for the better, providing fulfillment, happiness, validation, motivation, and purpose. It has inspired my thinking, future goals, and new career aspirations. It has even helped heal certain parts of my inner self. ​

Volunteerism has a significant impact on a number of levels. For the volunteer, the act of giving time and effort often has a transformative effect on their own being, constituting an important stretch of their personal journey towards better personhood. For organizations, the volunteer helps determine what is possible, expanding the scope and effectiveness of existing operations and enabling new initiatives to penetrate broader landscapes of need. For the more vulnerable members of our social order, there is maybe nothing more sustaining than witnessing the sheer humanity of someone who cares enough to help without immediate reward—not to mention the practical benefits of being aided by the kind of well-run, highly-functional organization that volunteers help enable. But the option of volunteering is also a privilege, usually more accessible to those with a reasonably wide latitude of socioeconomic freedom--those who have the time and resources to donate (although many will make considerable sacrifices in time, energy and financial security to break down barriers and "do their part"). The flip side is a richer, more ethically sustainable human experience and a more stable society for all. Make no mistake, anyone can transform lives. Many organizations like Paws/LA are actively looking for volunteers, and it is so easy to get involved! You can go to your chosen organization’s website and look out for messages about volunteering or contact venues via social media, phone, email, or mail. Volunteerism is a transformative experience for everyone involved — let's go out in the world and make it a better place!

To volunteer with Paws/LA, email [email protected] or check here for more info. ​

My name is Juliet Lippman, my friends call me JJ. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and moved to Los Angeles four years ago to go to the University of Southern California where I study Communication and Cinematic Arts.
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Through an occupational therapy class I am taking as an elective, I have spent time learning about the power of animals in helping our mental and physical health. As we have learned in class, and as I have learned through my personal experiences with both of my dogs, Penelope and Buttercup, having the love and consistency of an animal greatly improves our lives.

This learning led me to Paws/LA, where I have begun volunteering. Volunteering at Paws/LA has been an amazing experience for a multitude of reasons. My first deliveries went smoothly, and all of the clients were kind, thankful, and courteous. Further, knowing that I am a part of helping animals stay with their loving owners is a privilege that I do not take lightly.
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Not only is the work at Paws/LA incredible and fulfilling but the ability to volunteer on my own time and with my friends adds an uniquely fun aspect. Overall, I feel grateful that USC led me to Paws/LA, as I have found my time here rewarding and enjoyable.

​My name is Justine Biondi. I grew up in New Jersey, but I have been living in Los Angeles for over eight years now! I’m a real estate agent serving all of Los Angeles. I also love writing, and published a poetry book last December called Seasons of a Beating Heart. Recently, I have been looking for meaningful organizations to volunteer with, and I am so happy I found Paws/LA.

I heard about Paws/LA through a simple google search. I love helping both animals and elderly people, so this organization popped up right away in my search. Paws/LA is such a kindhearted organization with a meaningful cause. Everyone deserves to stay with their fluffy family members for as long as possible, so it is an honor to help facilitate that bond between older people and their pets. 

My first experience delivering food was seamless! I called the client, Lora, who answered right away and let me know when was a good time to deliver her cat’s food. She is an extremely sweet person who was very grateful as well. I was happy to help her!
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The human-animal bond is important on so many levels. I actually wrote a blog post recently called “The Magical and Emotional Bond Between Humans and their Animals.” Our animals are our family, through and through. They provide us with deep and meaningful companionship rooted in unconditional love. I know from experience that life becomes much brighter when you have a fluffy animal to share it with. They remain by our side through all of the highs and all of the lows, and they remind us that we are not alone. Sometimes even the people in our lives can’t do that. To be able to help elderly people continue to care for their beloved animals is an honor and a joy. ​

This is a companion piece to our Pet of the Week segment, where we profile a pet and their owner from our community. Usually, we get a little time with the pairing, and as much information as we can gather from a brief interview. This time, however, I was able to spend time with a dog who is very much part of my family, and this encouraged me to pause and think a little more carefully about why keeping pets and people together is important—not because it’s the mission statement of PAWS/LA, and our funding depends on it, but because there’s something in the relationship between human and animals that speaks to our better natures, our best selves.

The dog in this case, is named Clementine, a tiny pug-mutt bundle belonging to my brother, Ross, and his wife, Brooke. Clemmie was rescued during the pandemic and needed a lot of healing. Whatever had happened to her before she was adopted wasn’t pleasant. Physically, she was fine, but psychologically, she presented as frightened and skittish. There were clear signs that she’d suffered abuse of some kind, and her relationship with humans was clearly rooted in fear. Every noise would set her off barking, and she found it difficult to be left alone for even an hour. In fits of fear, she would behave maniacally, ripping apart shoes and eating furniture. She was hostile to other dogs, which was dangerous given her diminutive size, and the likelihood of her coming out poorly in a fight with a larger animal.

None of this was helped by the fact that my brother lives in a noisy neighborhood, where it isn’t unusual for fireworks to fire off randomly throughout the day and night. These sounds would send Clemmie darting beneath a chair where she would crouch for hours, shivering. When she saw humans interacting with each other, she would become fiercely defensive, mistaking affection for aggression; she was always trying to “save” us from hugs and embraces.

 It was difficult, but I know that Ross and Brooke loved her from the start. They stepped up as every pet parent should, even when Clemmie often required more care and attention than a newborn baby. She was a significant presence that changed the way they lived. But instead of growing frustrated and abandoning her, they worked hard to help her process and adapt to her new life. In turn, her healing facilitated their growth.  Of course, Clem’s personality remains skittish, and she still likes to pick fights with other dogs she meets on the street, but generally she is calmer, more at ease, and now capable of spending an hour alone in an apartment.

The bond she has with her owners is starkly evident. Last weekend, Ross and Brooke went out of town, and we took Clemmie to the desert to watch her while they were gone. For the first day or two, she appeared despondent and lethargic, lying around for hours, moving only to eat. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that dogs miss their owners as much as owners miss their dogs, and there is far more nuance to the relationship than an animal simply needing fed and sheltered. Watching Clemmie’s change in behavior, provided significant testament to the power of this bond. Even my brother, who is usually stoic to a fault, had to walk away quickly once he’d dropped her off, so that he wouldn’t start to cry.

After a day or so, Clemmie grew accustomed to her new environment, although it was interesting to see her connection to my brother and sister-in-law continue to play out indirectly. She was more drawn to my father and myself than to my mother, because as males in the family, we bear a closer resemblance to Ross. Certain smells also clearly reminded her of home, and she made her base of operation the spare bedroom that Ross and Brooke usually stay in when they visit, as if some comforting essence of them lingered there.

Besides all this, the human-animal bond finds maybe its fiercest expression in the way animals interact with children, in this case my son. Kids and animals love without reason, without thinking about it; they love simply because love is their nature, undisturbed by the hardening experiences of adult life. Watching them together was watching something pure, even when they tormented each other; even when Clemmie jumped up and accidentally scratched Isaac; when he splashed her with water, or she knocked him off a wall. Any slight or inconvenience was forgotten a second later, when they were lying together, and he was rubbing her belly.

​I do not know what makes our bond with Clemmie any different from that shared between millions of owners and animals throughout LA and beyond. Really, it is something beyond expression, something that defies description. At the end of the day, it hardly matters. Just because something can’t be described, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. The bond is real, and we see it everywhere. This is why we can’t allow hardship to separate animals from their owners. It is precisely at times of hardship that the bond is most powerful, and in the crucible of existence, with all its raw suffering and joy, animals and humans work in a way that ensures the growth of one becomes the growth of the other. It is not a linear, causal system, but a dynamic relationship of give and take, a dialectic of love and respect. At least, it should be.