All I Want For My Birthday is a Better LA

Turning Los Angeles into the city that it could be - and should be - is far from an easy task, and requires the cooperation of city departments that, as of this writing, are actively failing to do their jobs (if not outright refusing to do them).

BUT…

Virtually anyone can do one good deed. (Or more, if you’re so inclined.)

My birthday is this week. What I would appreciate most is for whoever can do one thing to make LA better to do that one thing. It doesn’t have to be on my birthday or even this week. It doesn’t have to be something big, it just has to be something that has a positive impact.

Here are some ideas:

• Check on your community elders, especially if they don’t have family close by or if their families rarely visit. Some elders may have no family at all.

• Check on your chronically sick friends and family and do your best to be inclusive. I suggest reading this first.

• Remind that forgetful neighbor to set an alarm for street sweeping day.

• Pick up trash if you can, and report large dumped items to 311.

• Local animal shelters always need volunteers. (Allergic to dogs? See if they’ll let you help with the cats or clean the bunny cages. Allergic to cats? Dogs always need walking.)

• Before donating items to a nonprofit, call or email them and ask what they need (some have wishlists posted online). Some of them really need money and/or volunteers more than anything else. (Case in point: Meals on Wheels West has a long waitlist due to funding gaps.)

• Report nuisance properties in your neighborhood to KTLA, NBCLA, or the LA Times. I haven’t been able to shame the city into doing its job YET, but they’re getting results and I love to see it.

• Local animal rescues like Luxe Paws always need help with fostering, animal transport, TNR (trap/neuter/release), outreach, and admin tasks.

• Can your school, workplace, house of worship, etc. host a Food Collection Box for Friends of the Cecil’s Food Bank? (They also need volunteers.)

• If you have the scheduling flexibility, can you give public comment on issues that matter to you at City Hall meetings? (Don’t feel bad if you can’t, and don’t feel bad if you call in and can’t get through. I have tried to call in MANY times over the years - my work schedule has always made personal attendance impossible - and I have never, EVER had any of my calls picked up. I am going to keep trying anyway.)

• Can you help cook and serve with a soup kitchen or community feeding operation like Food Not Bombs? Many of them get too many volunteers around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but need more help the rest of the year - as if hungry people didn’t exist all year long.

• If you are lucky enough to have backyard produce and have more than your household can use, you can drop it off at a community fridge (they also accept nonperishables, bottled drinks, etc.). Your surplus loquats or bumper crop of zucchinis just might make a struggling family’s day. (The fridge network also needs volunteers to help with distribution on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)

• If you are eligible to vote, PLEASE do so (Election Day is coming up on November 3). LA’s notoriously low voter turnout plays a role in lousy candidates being elected (or re-elected) to public office.

• Keep a fire extinguisher in your house or apartment and learn how to use it. You never know.

• Is there a shopping cart in the wheelchair loading space in the parking lot? Grab that cart and take it to the cart return where it belongs.

• Want to help people directly? The library needs literacy tutors/teachers at multiple branches.

If you have any ideas to add, please share them in the comments!