MEND – Meet each need with dignity – Great Volunteering Experience
MEND, which stands for meet each need with dignity, is located in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles and helps the local community achieve self-reliance and contribute to society.
I volunteered with them when I signed up for the Do Good Bus, another great volunteering organization in LA, and I learned about the wonderful ways MEND provides to thousands on a daily basis.
The non-profit offers medical, dental and vision services, as well as education and training programs. In addition there’s a food bank and clothing distribution center, which is where I worked.
For the first part of the afternoon I volunteered sorting clothing donations, which was helpful because it allowed employees to do other things that volunteers couldn’t.
After working for a couple of hours, we were given a lunch break, which was boxed sandwiches and salads that the Do Good Bus had ready for us.
When it was time to get back to work, I helped out in the food bank and boxed up grocery items such a fruits, vegetables and tortillas for people in need to pick up.
I was impressed by how well organized and efficient MEND was. They are a volunteer-driven organization, which keeps costs down of running the programs.
As a result, administrative and fundraising costs are less than 6% of MEND’s total revenue. But this is possible only because of the dedicated volunteers who generously give their time to MEND.
Even though I only volunteered for a day at MEND, I could see how well-run it is and how volunteers really do make a difference. It’s also apparent how committed they are to giving back to the community and I’d definitely volunteer with them again.