Here is this week’s sampling of charities in the San Fernando Valley area that need your support through donations or volunteer work.
EVENTS
Canyon High School Football Booster Club’s Poker Tournament: Las Vegas-style event with professional dealers and buffet dinner, Feb. 23. Minimum age 21. Optional basic poker playing class, 4:30-5:30 p.m. ($20 to the instructor; must have a player’s ticket to get in the door). Check-in and dinner, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Tournament, 7 p.m. Tickets $75 includes buy-in and dinner; $55 spectator ticket and dinner. Reservations required. Canyon Club, 27734 Sand Canyon Road, Santa Clarita. www.cowboyfootball.org
Flair Cares Food Drive: Flair Cleaners “Hang Up Hunger” event is collecting nonperishable, unopened boxed and canned food (no glass jars, no ramen noodle soup or expired dates), through Feb. 28. Food will be donated to local food banks including Burbank Temporary Aid Center, North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry and the Santa Clarita Valley Food Bank. Flair will make a matching contribution of up to 1,000-pounds donated by customers. Customers who donate receive a 50-percent-off coupon on dry cleaning order. Flair donation locations: 337 N. Pass Ave., Burbank; 4060 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Studio City; 27011 McBean Parkway, Valencia. www.flaircleaners.com; bit.ly/2TGZUxW
Clean-Up Encino volunteer opportunity: Encino Chamber of Commerce seeking volunteers to pick up trash and clean streets in Encino, 8-11 a.m. March 2 (rain reschedule date, March 3). Register in advance from the website’s link or by phone. Bring work/garden gloves. Meet at the chamber’s office, 4933 Balboa Blvd., Encino. 818-789-4711. encinochamber.org/clean-up-encino-day
Days for Girls project: The Episcopal Church Women at Prince of Peace Church are seeking volunteers to help assemble sustainable feminine hygiene/menstrual care kits that will be sent to women around the world, noon-3 p.m. March 3. Call to register for volunteering. Bring your sewing machine if you sew; other assembly work that doesn’t involve sewing. Upcoming volunteer days: April 7, May 5, June 2. Prince of Peace Episcopal Church, 5700 Rudnick Ave., Woodland Hills. 818-346-6968. For more information on the project: www.daysforgirls.org
Stars and Strikes Celebrity Bowling & Poker Tournament: Bowling, poker and buffet dinner with celebrities and representatives from KIIS-FM (102.7), 7-11 p.m. March 7. Admission $150; $250; both have added fees. Proceeds benefit A Place Called Home, a nonprofit youth center in South Central Los Angeles. PINZ Bowling & Entertainment Center, 12655 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Email: events@apch.org. apch.org/events/stars-and-strikes
Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk: Annual fundraising event, with a new name, for breast cancer awareness education, support for those with the disease and research for a cure, 9 a.m. March 9. Onsite registration and check-in, 7 a.m. Register online as a team or an individual; $30. Register in advance for a walk tee shirt and other items used in the opening ceremony. Fundraising suggested goal per person, $250. Check website for how to create a team. Donations may be mailed to: Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County, 5901 W. Century Blvd., Suite 800, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Dodger Stadium, 1000 Vin Scully Ave., Los Angeles. 310-575-3011. komenlacounty.org/walk
Cal State Northridge Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Clinic for low-income families and individuals: IRS-certified student volunteers are available to taxpayers six-days a week, through April 13 at the university’s campus and 15 other locations including Granada Hills, North Hills, Pacoima, Panorama City, San Fernando and Sun Valley. Schedule an appointment on the website. Check the website for documents and ID needed to prepare the tax return. 818-677-3600. Email: vita@csun.edu. www.csun.edu/bookstein-institute/csun-vita-clinic
ONGOING NEEDS
American Cancer Society Discovery Shop: Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. 8738 Tampa Ave., Northridge. 818-772-0194. www.facebook.com/discoveryshopnorthridge
Patriot Bingo at American Legion Post 176: The group holds a bingo night, 5 p.m. Wednesdays. Fee for bingo cards. Proceeds from the post’s programs benefit local veterans. 602 Pico St., San Fernando. 818-361-4621. americanlegionsfpost176.org
Catholic Charities Guadalupe Community Center: Call for current needs. 21600 Hart St., Canoga Park. 213-251-3549.
FISH of West Valley: Call for current needs. 20440 Lassen St., Chatsworth. 818-882-3474.
Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission: Check out ways to donate money and volunteer in the San Fernando Valley. For volunteering: laurie@hopeofthevalley.org or 818-392-0020, Ext. 1002. The mission also has three thrift stores: 18167 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills (9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; 818-363-2050); 19379 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country (10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; 661-673-5951); 2790 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley (9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; 818-392-0020). www.hopeofthevalley.org
Lutheran Social Services: Call for current needs and volunteer opportunities. Valley Lutheran Church, 7400 Tujunga Ave., North Hollywood. 818-901-9480. www.lssccc.org
MEND food bank: Call for current needs or to volunteer. 10641 San Fernando Road, Pacoima. 818-897-2443. www.mendpoverty.org
National Council of Jewish Women of Los Angeles Council Thrift Shops: Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday. Donations drop-off: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. Locations include: 21716 Sherman Way, Canoga Park (818-710-7206); 12203 Ventura Blvd., Studio City (no longer accepting furniture donations; 818-505-1924); 14526 Victory Blvd., Van Nuys (818-997-8980). Volunteer at the shops: 800-400-6259. bit.ly/2BGZ0cT
North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry: The pantry is supported by a coalition of area religious congregations. Information about food and money donations at First Christian Church of North Hollywood (Disciples of Christ), 818-763-8218. www.nhifp.org
St. Charles Service Center: Call for current needs or to volunteer. 10825 Moorpark St., North Hollywood. 818-985-7365.
Salvation Army: Check out ways to donate money and volunteer in the San Fernando Valley. 818-781-5739. sanfernandovalley.salvationarmy.org
San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission thrift stores: Support the programs at the mission by purchasing goods or donating. Two shops: North Hollywood Super Thrift Store, 13422 Saticoy St. (hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 818-474-1291); Reseda Super Thrift, 18344 Sherman Way (hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 818-654-4806). sfvrescuemission.org/thrift
SOVA food pantry: Call or check website for current needs. 16439 Vanowen St., Van Nuys. 818-988-7682. www.jfsla.org/sova
Volunteer League of the San Fernando Valley: Donate gently used or new children’s clothing (to help out K-12 children in the Los Angeles Unified School District through the league’s Centre Clothes Corner). Call or check website or volunteer opportunities and how to make monetary donations. 14603 Hamlin St., Van Nuys. 818-785-4134. www.volunteerleague.com
Volunteers of America: Check out ways to donate money to the group that provides services to children and families in need, the homeless, at-risk youth, veterans, those released from prison and those who are trying to overcome addictions. The organization was founded in 1896 in New York City and opened a home for orphans in the same year in Los Angeles. 213-389-1500. Email: info@voala.org. voala.org
Volunteer opportunities through VolunteerMatch: Online resource includes opportunities for all ages. Listings are specific to current need by various organizations by zip code. VolunteerMatch now requires verification of your email address before you can refer yourself to an opportunity to ensure that a nonprofit is able to contact you after you have referred yourself to an opportunity. For facts about registering with VolunteerMatch (registering now required also) and providing email: www.volunteermatch.org/volunteers/resources/faq.jsp#1 Website: www.volunteermatch.org
West Valley Food Pantry: A coalition of churches and synagogues runs the pantry. Call or check website for current needs. The pantry is located on the grounds of Prince of Peace Episcopal Church, 5700 Rudnick Ave., Woodland Hills. 818-346-5554. www.westvalleyfoodpantry.org
Send information at least two weeks in advance to holly.andres@dailynews.com. 818-713-3708.
