As many Angelenos rush about looking for the perfect gift, others are wondering where they can give the gift of their time or give donations to help those in need this holiday. The Encino Patch has pulled together a fantastic 17 Places to Volunteer or Make a Donation list of spots in their local vicinity and beyond. more ›

Looking back on 2010, the year has been full of an abundance of things that I am thankful for. My family and friends. Food adventures in LA. Travel adventures around California and the world. So today I list a few of the things that made me feel truly grateful. more ›

Of the five islands that make up Channel Islands National Park, it's one of the smallest that has some of the biggest problems. 17 miles off the coast of Oxnard is Anacapa Island. The 1.1 square-mile series of three large volcanic rocks that shoot out of the ocean is the birthplace to most all seagulls you see on Southern California beaches and many of the pelicans found throughout the West Coast, as far as Alaska. more ›

With the event a few days away, Sonja took the time to speak to LAist about the importance of conscious consumerism and community building, promoting downtown LA and it's thriving art and fashion scene, volunteering and the amazingness that is LA's taco trucks and fruit stands. more ›

This Saturday morning, some 11,000 volunteers at more than 70 beaches and inland sites throughout the LA area will be participating in Heal the Bay's Coastal Cleanup. They estimate that this year's cleanup will mark their one millionth pound of picked-up trash since the event began in 1990. more ›

Submitted & Authored by Emily Lerman more ›

The Mayor has been running these CommUNITY Days of Service since he got into office. Basically, a region is chosen and thousands of volunteers pour into that sector of the city to clean and beautify the neighborhoods. From tree plantings to picking up litter to free community workshops, there's lots going on. Tomorrow's area is in what the Mayor calls the "Heart of the City," aka Koreatown, Thai Town, Historic Filipinotown, MacArthur Park, Hollywood, Pico-Union, Westlake, Mid-Wilshire and surrounding neighborhoods. more ›

On the heels of the annual Great LA River CleanUp comes another large do-gooding river activity tomorrow morning. 2,000 people from Heal the Bay, the NAACP, PAVA and ANAHUAK will be cleaning the Glendale Narrows section of the LA River along with Councilman Eric Garcetti and other neighborhood and organization leaders. more ›

Cold Stone Creamery is hosting their fourth annual World's Largest Ice Cream Social and it's today! From 5-8 pm, help yourself to a FREE ice cream cone from Cold Stone. Lucky for us, there are lots of locations in Los Angeles! In exchange for the free cone, you will be asked to make a donation to the Make-a-Wish Foundation and 100% of the proceeds nationwide will go back to them. The free scoops will... more ›

Got a crush on Jason Bentley? Wanna know what Nic Harcourt looks like? We can't promise you they'll be nearby, but we know how you can get behind the scenes at KCRW. Right now the station is is signing up volunteers online to help with their winter fund drive in January and February. Volunteering to answer phones during the fund drive is a cool (cheap) way to support the station. Chances are they'll have bagels and coffee for you. And we hear that their hold music is the best in town. more ›