Marta Bortner, a spokeswoman for California Volunteers, said the group has put a volunteer opportunity finder on their Web site: www.californiavolunteers.org.

The search engine allows perspective volunteers to search for opportunities based on interest categories. Bortner said matching interests — animals, the environment, arts, children, technology, faith, health or public safety — with volunteer opportunities is the best way to have an enjoyable experience and one that continues.

A quick search on the California Volunteers site turned several volunteer opportunities, with everything from the police department to area campgrounds, in the 92311 area code.
Another volunteer Web site, www.handsoninlandempire.org, also has a search engine to narrow down opportunities by area and interest. The site also lets volunteers filter results by specific organizations, the blood bank or the Red Cross, skill sets, public speaking or gardening and project attributes, family friendly or good for groups.

Check the sites out, they are a great way to learn about more opportunities in the area, some you may not know existed.

Also, the American Red Cross, a standard in the volunteer world, is looking for volunteers to help with emergency and disaster response. The Red Cross can be reached at 245-6511.

Aaron Aupperlee | Staff writer