Tag: volunteering

San Diego organization rescues dogs in Mexico.

There’s a San Diego-based nonprofit organization that rescues dogs from high kill shelters and the streets of Mexico. The Animal Pad rescues all breeds with its connections in Baja California–particularly in Ensenada and Tijuana.

The Animal Pad has many lovable, adoptable furry friends who are ready to join your family today!

Early this afternoon, as I walked through San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, I met smiling volunteers who were engaged in community outreach. I learned a little about the good work they are doing. The Animal Pad rescues dogs from Southern California as well as Mexico. They provide veterinarian care and rehabilitation for the rescued dogs before four-legged friends head to loving foster homes.

The Animal Pad also has a youth education program and operates the fun Camp Tappy Tails for dog loving children ages 7-12. Their La Mesa facility hosts birthday parties, too!

The Animal Pad website explains: The Animal Pad is only able to do what we do through the efforts of a wide network of volunteers, fosters, donors, sponsor organizations, and adopters. It truly takes a village. And we are always looking for help! The Animal Pad is seeking new avenues for fundraising, veterinary and pet supply connections, and anything else that can assist TAP in helping these innocent souls.

Would you like to adopt a new friend? Do you want to be a hero and help out in some other way? Go to The Animal Pad website by clicking here!

…

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Thank you for sharing!

Help beautify Tweet Street in downtown San Diego!

A public park clean-up event will take place this weekend in downtown San Diego. Neighbors will be coming together to beautify the Tweet Street linear park on Cortez Hill!

You are encouraged to join the community volunteer effort! It’s led by the Cortez Hill Active Residents Group (CHARG).

I saw the above flyer posted at one end of Tweet Street Park. The beautification project takes place on Saturday, November 16th, 2024.

Meet at the corner of 9th Avenue and Date Street, near the playground. Equipment will be provided! Downtown San Diego’s Clean and Safe Program will be on hand to help out!

Very cool!

…

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Thank you for sharing!

Painting new murals in downtown La Mesa!

Half a dozen new murals are now being painted in downtown La Mesa!

The fresh new murals are located in The Walkway of the Stars, a pocket park that celebrates La Mesa’s volunteers. I checked out the walkway today and was excited to discover both finished murals and murals in progress, and two artists at work!

Three weeks ago these walls were blank, and I posted a blog concerning the project. See what I wrote here. Two more murals are due to be painted, for a total of eight.

Here’s what I saw today…

Artist Kolten French of Mindful Murals is working on artwork titled Litter Pick Up.

A mural in progress. Agents of Change: A Novel Approach is by artist Marc Hedges. One book spine indicates World Design Capital San Diego/ Tijuana.

Another beautiful new mural. Basket of Abundance and Sharing by artist Jonny Alexander.

Painting a cool mural that concerns volunteerism in local sports. Volunteer Coaching by artist Don Masse.

Artist Don Masse of Shine Brite Productions smiles!

Helping Hands Make La Mesa Shine is a mural in progress.

Grow Love. A very colorful, beautiful mural in downtown La Mesa by Anna Pearson.

UPDATE!

I swung by a couple weeks later…

A beautiful mural in La Mesa, by artist Shannen Mythen.

…

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

CleanUp Kitsune leads Balboa Park clean up!

Lila and Corey Cleary-Stoner led a clean up event in Balboa Park yesterday. They and a group of caring volunteers walked around the park, removing litter from San Diego’s beautiful crown jewel, making it shine.

What was unique about this clean up? Lila and Corey combine litter removal with performance art. To attract interest from those nearby, they wear full Japanese costume and call their performance Cleanup Kitsune.

The two got the idea for Cleanup Kitsune from their attending Renaissance Fairs in costume. Both are Japanophiles. In Japan, they explained as I watched them sort collected trash, people are very careful about keeping their world clean and healthy. Why not inject some of that ethos here in San Diego?

According to the All Goods website: Since their launch in June 2023, CleanUp Kitsune has removed and sorted approximately 45,000 pieces/280lbs of litter & through their waste organization stations have diverted over 2000 pounds of waste from landfills. CleanUp Kitsune is also the recipient of the 2024 Enhancing Ecosystems sPARK award by Forever Balboa Park.

I spent much of Saturday morning wandering around Balboa Park, meaning to find Lila and Corey doing their thing in costume. I failed!

But I did find both speaking to the CleanUp Kitsune volunteers at the conclusion of the day’s effort. We all learned what sorts of trash can be recycled. Then the sorting began!

Thank you all for “littering kindness!”

This is what I missed:

I did discover volunteers picking up litter…

Forever Balboa Park and some friendly superheroes joined the effort!

Look at all the trash they collected! That’s Lila and Corey speaking to the assembled volunteers…

UPDATE!

Lila and Corey have told me that with nearly 40 volunteers they collected a total of 110.51 pounds of trash in Balboa Park. They diverted 49.55 pounds of trash from the landfill by separating waste into the following categories:

Landfill: 60.96 lbs
Recycle: 35.58 lbs
Compost: 4.14 lbs
Textile: 8.32 lbs
Hazardous: .60 lbs
E-Waste: .66 lbs
Cigarette Butts: .25 lbs

Awesome!

Here’s a photo of the two in costume!

…

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Gamers Outreach brings play to kids in hospitals!

Are you a gamer with heart? Would you like to improve the lives of hospitalized kids? Gamers Outreach is a charity that would appreciate your help.

The two cool people in the above photo are raising money for Gamers Outreach during TwitchCon in San Diego. I spotted them today grilling hot dogs at a tent on Harbor Drive. Look for them near a dancing hot dog!

Their objective: help fund programs that brighten the day of sick kids in hospitals, including San Diego’s own Rady Children’s Hospital.

Let me share two paragraphs from Gamers Outreach literature:

WHO WE ARE

Gamers Outreach is a charity that empowers hospitalized families through play. Our goal is to build a world where activity is easily prioritized as part of care. Video games are our tools of choice.

WHY WE DO IT

Being in the hospital can be scary and isolating. Games give kids access to adventure and opportunities to socialize. Sometimes healthcare staff even use games to assist with treatment!

Gamers Outreach has several programs. Click here to check out their GO Karts (Gamers Outreach Karts), which are portable video game kiosks built specifically for hospitals. Kids stuck in bed can play!

The Player 2 program encourages volunteers to distribute, manage, and play games with hospitalized kids! This role is particularly great for college gamers!

The Save Point program provides hospitals with high-tech vending machines that distribute items such as toys, game codes, and fun swag to kids receiving care . . . as they progress through treatment. Make getting better a fun goal! Curious hospitals should check this out!

Gamers Outreach helps thousands of children per year in a multitude of hospitals. Interested in learning more, and perhaps helping this effort? Visit their website by clicking here!

If you’re in San Diego for TwitchCon, head over to the fundraising tent on Harbor Drive across from the convention center, near the Gaslamp trolley station. I spun their prize wheel and got a free hot dog!

…

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Rancho Bernardo gathers for RB Alive!

A very cool street festival was held today in Rancho Bernardo. Several blocks of Bernardo Center Drive filled with vendors, artists, food, entertainment and fun for the North San Diego Business Chamber’s 36th Annual RB Alive!

I walked through the festival around noontime as it got underway. A good crowd appeared quickly, attesting to the popularity of this community gathering. (Unfortunately, RB Alive! was put on hold the past few years due to COVID.)

It was interesting to learn about many of the organizations on hand. Civic groups, politicians, churches, clubs, schools, you name it–everyone was smiling and ready to greet passersby.

This was my first time experiencing the event. I took some photographs as I walked about.

The RB Karate Center was providing martial arts demonstrations on one stage.

RB Alive! is organized by the North San Diego Business Chamber. They have numerous educational programs and events that support local business.

The Ed Brown Center for Active Adults is working to convert an old lawn bowling area in Rancho Bernardo Community Park into 16 pickleball courts.

The Rancho Bernardo Historical Society has a museum at the Bernardo Winery. The museum’s exhibits include a replica mud wagon stagecoach.

The Historical Society’s table had a detailed timeline of Rancho Bernardo’s history. Thank you for all the informative brochures. I need to visit their museum some day!

If history is your thing, why not join their efforts as a volunteer?

The Rancho Bernardo Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol acts as eyes and ears for the San Diego Police Department.

Are you 50 years or older? They’re always looking for volunteers!

More smiles!

I learned the Rancho Bernardo Public Library is just down the street. So after the festival I went there. Blog posts are coming up concerning my visit!

Creative vendors had all sorts of cool crafts and art out on display…

There would be entertainment throughout the day, including live music.

Loads of food everywhere you look!

I learned the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary is engaged in many charitable projects in Mexico and developing countries. They’re fighting childhood disease, providing clean water, building houses and hospitals…

The Rancho Bernardo Community Council is Your Voice in the Community. They are an all-volunteer organization acting as an advisory board to the City of San Diego on a range of public issues.

They also organize many fun community events! They’re glad to welcome volunteers!

Even the dogs were having a great time at RB Alive!

…

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Painting beautiful street art in Hillcrest!

Many electrical boxes in Hillcrest are being painted this summer with beautiful new street art. I happened upon three artists today working on a box on University Avenue!

I’ve learned this latest explosion of Hillcrest street art is another project of the Hillcrest Business Association. Volunteer artists are adding more life and color to this already dynamic San Diego community!

Upon speaking to the three artists, I learned they’ll be covering this entire box with their beautiful work. And I learned they are helping to restore historic murals in Chicano Park!

Awesome!

Ni La Muerte Nos Separa. Not even death separates us.

A beautiful sun and moon rise together on the side of an electrical box in Hillcrest!

…

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Five new murals to be painted in La Mesa!

Five colorful new murals will soon be painted in downtown La Mesa. Old murals along The Walkway of the Stars, a pocket park that celebrates local volunteers, have been painted over, and a sign indicates new artwork will be created on the same walls this summer.

I was a bit shocked today when I saw how the beautiful old murals had disappeared. But the new mural designs appear pretty awesome. You can see the five new mural designs on the City of La Mesa’s Instagram page by clicking here.

If you’d like to see the vanished murals, I took photographs back in 2017 and posted them here.

…

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

A wonderful used book store in Oceanside!

The city of Oceanside is very lucky to have such a wonderful used book store. Jane and Evie’s Used Books is where you want to shop if you love to read, watch movies, listen to music . . . or solve jigsaw puzzles or view walls filled with art!

Whenever I’m in Oceanside I like to drop by, simply to look around and possibly add to my collection of books and digital media, including CDs and DVDs. That’s what I did today!

A cool thing about shopping at Jane and Evie’s Used Books is that all of the sales benefit The Friends of the Oceanside Public Library. When you enjoy a purchased book, others might enjoy a library book, too!

The store’s volunteers are all super friendly!

I asked about the history of the bookstore and was shown a photo of Evie Magana and Jane Cheadle, who were early members and officers of The Friends of the Oceanside Public Library. They were both known for their love of books and their dedication to the Oceanside community. The bookstore was named in their honor.

Unlike certain used book stores, it’s spacious and very well organized. Like a library! Linger, peruse the shelves, and talk to friendly people!

Jane and Evie’s Used Books is located at 323 North Coast Highway. Hours are Monday through Wednesday 11 am – 3 pm; Thursday through Saturday 10 am – 6 pm.

Procrastireading: The Art of Reading, instead of doing whatever else it is you should be doing.

…

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.

Operation Clean Sweep beautifies the waterfront!

The cities of San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and Coronado were all made more beautiful this morning! Volunteers with Operation Clean Sweep fanned out to pick up litter on each city’s waterfront!

I happened to stumble upon the above group this morning as I walked along downtown San Diego’s Embarcadero. They posed for a photo!

I learned there are numerous sponsors for the big annual clean up event, which is organized by the San Diego Working Waterfront. You can see all of the sponsors by checking out the Operation Clean Sweep website here. Some of the smiling volunteers I encountered are with Old Town Trolley Tours.

As a resident of downtown San Diego, lover of the city and avid walker, I want to thank everyone involved!

…

Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!

I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.