Imperial Valley News

Maria Shriver Discusses the Importance of Volunteerism;

Hi, this is Maria Shriver with this week’s California Report.

Our work to help people recover from the terrible southern California wildfires is well underway and we are seeing the very best in generosity and compassion from thousands of individuals.

The Governor’s CaliforniaVolunteers Office is coordinating many of these efforts and the response from the people of our state has been extraordinary.

More than 4,200 volunteers are on the ground in the affected areas.

And in San Diego County alone 10,000 new volunteers have registered with the local center since the fires began.

Volunteers are helping at shelters, supporting command centers, processing donations and taking care of animals for evacuees.

The stories are truly heartening.

A military family who lived through the 2003 fires sent breathing masks to help volunteers who are working amid all the smoke.

A high school senior from San Diego County helped his mom evacuate their home, then he went to a local church to assist others. Every day, more people ask me what they can do.

Well, the first step is visiting the CaliforniaVolunteers website at: www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org.

From there, we can refer you to the organizations in the areas directly affected by the fires.

I urge you to sign up now because the recovery is expected to take months and our fellow Californians will need our support long after the news of these fires fade.

Nothing provides more personal satisfaction than volunteering for a worthy cause and by giving back during a time of tremendous adversity.

WE can make a difference.

WE can keep reaching out to help, rebuild and comfort.

WE can lend our strength and share our compassion.

That is the Power of WE.

I hope you will join us and the thousands of volunteers who are helping their fellow Californians recover from these fires.

Again, our web site is www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org.

Thank you for listening.