The Volunteer Management Committee is focused on exploring best practices as well as
technical and legal issues concerning volunteer management in disaster situations.
Volunteer Los Angeles and L.A. Works, two volunteer centers serving the Los Angeles area and
responsible for the coordination of spontaneous volunteers in disaster, are currently working on
projects that will enable more accurate and timely volunteer support to community agencies in
recovery. Efforts include collecting information from ENLA member agencies that will give
insight into how these agencies can be supported with volunteers in times of disaster, as well
as making introductions with community agencies in Los Angeles and ensuring that up-to-date
contact information is on-file.
For more information, you can contact the Volunteer Management Committee Chair:
Gilbert Gonzales
Volunteer Los Angeles
ggonzales@volunteerlosangeles.org
RESOURCES
Volunteer Los Angeles, a service of Assistance League of Southern California, is a growing
organization committed to building a strong, viable network of concerned and compassionate
people who believe volunteer action creates needed change and elevates our sense of community.
Through its two disaster programs—Disaster Healthcare Volunteers (DHV) and Emergency
Volunteer Center —Volunteer Los Angeles has established itself as a leading volunteer center
in California in disaster response. The DHV program, through a partnership with the County
of Los Angeles, recruits, pre-registers, verity’s licensure and place of practice for medical,
health, mental health and other volunteers in advance of major disasters or other public health
emergencies. The Emergency Volunteer Center Program (EVC) focuses on coordinating
spontaneous volunteers following a disaster. Spontaneous volunteers are the average citizens
who are galvanized by a disaster and feel a strong desire to do something to support their
community.
In 2012, Volunteer Los Angeles was recognized by CaliforniaVolunteers (the state office that
manages programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the number of Californians engaged
in service and volunteering) as the Regional Lead Disaster Volunteer Center for the state’s
Southern Region. Volunteer LA is responsible for providing training and technical support
to volunteer centers throughout 11 Southern California counties, as well as building the
capacity of the regional network of volunteer centers to communicate effectively and provide
mutual assistance when necessary. For more information, please contact Gil Gonzales at
ggonzales@volunteerlosangeles.org.
Volunteer Center of San Gabriel Valley
Public Health Emergency Volunteer (PHEV) Network
The purpose of PHEV Network is to increase the coordination and collaboration with established community volunteer units that are willing to assist the Department of Public Health in responding to public health emergencies by creating a system to engage, train, and deploy these groups. The PHEV Network values coordinating efficiently, nurturing collaboration, communicating effectively, and respecting the autonomy of community volunteer units. For more information, please contact Joseph Kim at joskim@ph.lacounty.gov
