April is National Volunteer Month

You’ll feel better and make friends for life when you volunteer your time

2026 April

Los Angeles and Orange County Trial Lawyers’ Charities depend on our volunteers to make a difference in our community. Whether it is cheering on young Buddy Ball players with special needs on Opening Day or building houses with Habitat for Humanity, we usually focus on how your participation benefits them – the organizations we support.

But April is National Volunteer Month, and we would like to showcase how volunteering actually benefits you.

United Way outlines the many health benefits the best:

Mental And Cognitive Health: Volunteering reduces stress and increases positive, relaxed feelings by releasing dopamine. Volunteering just makes you feel good!

Physical Health: Activities like planting gardens at PATH or running with Triumph Foundation at their 5K walk, run, roll contributes to better heart health and increased longevity.

Social Health: Volunteering is a great way to connect with others and build a strong social network. You make friends every time you volunteer at one of our events.

Career Health: Volunteering can also improve your work! It offers opportunities to learn new skills, gain valuable experience and you will interact not only with other attorneys but with the vendors who make our jobs easier. Many new professional and personal relationships begin with an OCTLC or LATLC volunteer project.

Now that you know why you should volunteer, let us show you how.

The mission of OCTLC and LATLC is to make a difference in our communities through financial assistance and volunteer work with local non-profits. Both organizations offer many volunteer opportunities, at least one per month. To sign up, go to our websites (www.LATLC.org or www.OCTLC.org) and in the upper right hand corner are two boxes. One to donate. One to volunteer. Click on them for upcoming opportunities. Most of our events are family-friendly, making them perfectly shared activities.

This month, Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities will again host our Women’s Empowerment Day (April 15) at the Clare|Matrix drug and alcohol treatment center with the women residents. We create vision boards and learn self-defense skills. We have hosted this event for more than five years and were honored by Clare|Matrix for this event in 2024. Thank you to Aarons|Ward Law Firm for sponsoring this service project. 

During the last weekend in April, LATLC will host two events: April 25-26 is the Triumph Foundation’s Wheelchair Sports Festival Weekend. This incredible event brings together individuals of all abilities – able body and disabled alike – to take part in a weekend of games and activities. We will have a booth and help with the games. On April 25, El Nido Family Centers will host their Community Resource Fair in Inglewood and we will have activities in our booth.

OCTLC volunteers will fill Joy Jars for NEGU on April 29. A young girl fighting cancer in 2011 wanted to help other children at the hospital with her. She created plastic jars stuffed to the very top with new, age appropriate, toys and games. Jessie stuffed over 3,000 with family and friends before she lost her fight. Jessie was the first one to coin the term “NEGU®,” which was her motto and message to everyone to Never Ever Give Up. 

OCTLC is also sponsoring Project Youth through the Orange County Marathon on May 3, 2026.

Be sure to save the date when OCTLC and LATLC co-host THE GREAT TRYKE GIVEAWAY in August. We need lots of volunteers to not only cheer on the wonderful kids who receive their adaptive tricycles, but also, we will fill 1,000 toiletry kits for veterans experiencing homelessness in LA and OC. All the kits will be distributed by US Vets throughout Southern California. It is an incredible day, so join us.

Sign up and volunteer – not just during National Volunteer Month, but throughout the year. There is something for everyone. You will feel good.