Volunteer Center

A Whittier volunteer center that coordinated court-ordered community service work for five Southeast cities has closed because of financial problems. For 20 years, the Rio Hondo Volunteer Center acted as a clearinghouse for volunteers for community service organizations in Downey, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Whittier, Pico Rivera and El Monte, said Margaret Grover, a volunteer center board member.

With paint brushes, work gloves and comfy shoes, they came straight to the heart of Leimert Park. More than 1,000 volunteers, some as young as 10, joined forces Saturday to give the historically black neighborhood in South Los Angeles a colorful face-lift. They fanned out across several blocks to paint light posts, plant a vegetable garden, erect street signs and banners, create a community mural and make African drums to launch a youth music program. The day of service was organized by L.A. Works, a volunteer center celebrating 20 years of giving back throughout Los Angeles.

An Oakland volunteer center that helped distribute government money to youth groups and community programs for 25 years will undergo a city audit over allegations that it misused public money. The Volunteer Center of Alameda County, which had offices in Oakland and Pleasanton, filed for bankruptcy in late December.

Brian Wing was home in Houston on Monday morning, watching footage from this tornado-shredded town, when he saw something that shocked him — the reporter for the Weather Channel teared up. "He sees this stuff a lot," Wing recalled reasoning, "and when he broke down, I knew it was a big deal. " The next day, Wing arrived in Joplin just ahead of a new storm system. He took refuge in the basement of a Red Cross shelter when tornado sirens sounded, and slept in his rental van, windows rolled down so any additional alerts would wake him. Then he rose at dawn and joined an army of volunteers who have made startling progress at getting this battered city back on its feet.

The Volunteer Center of Greater Orange County counts on the holiday season to encourage people to donate time and resources to worthy organizations countywide. To simplify the process, the organization has published a holiday volunteer directory, listing 80 agencies throughout the county that are in need of volunteers. The listings note what kind of help is needed.

The Westside branch of the Volunteer Center of Los Angeles and its director, Tony Angel, have been named as joint recipients of Mayor Tom Bradley's award for outstanding community service on the Westside. The award will be given at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the center office, 11646 W. Pico Blvd. Bradley said the award recognizes Angel and the center's work "in solving community problems and improving the quality of life in depressed areas of the city."

Organizers of a benefit golf tournament in Tustin on Tuesday hope to net $10,000 for the Santa Ana-based Volunteer Center of Greater Orange County. The tournament is scheduled for noon to 8 p.m. at Tustin Ranch Golf Course. The entry fee is $175 per player, which includes 18 holes of golf, lunch, a cocktail reception and an awards ceremony. There also will be a silent auction and opportunities to win vacation trips.

A shiny white car pulled into the Westin South Coast Plaza parking lot on Thursday sporting license plates that read: IM4WINE. The driver--and about 400 others for wine --was on her way to a fund-raiser for the Volunteer Center of Orange County-Central/South, a $35-per-person ticket to gustatory bliss.

The Volunteer Center of Greater Orange County has received a $25,000 grant to encourage community organizations to offer volunteer service and employment opportunities for youths. The Los Angeles-based Weingart Foundation, a nonprofit group that supports community service, health, education and public policy organizations, provided the grant. The money will help fund a three-year Youth Connection Program, said Volunteer Center spokeswoman Debra Walters.

Jim Leahy, a former executive with a high-tech firm, has been appointed director of the Volunteer Center of San Fernando Valley, a resource center for volunteers to nonprofit agencies. Leahy replaces Sandy Doerschlag, who has taken a position as director of the Assistance League of Southern California, which is the Panorama City center's sponsor. Leahy was manager of the center's office in Valencia for two years.

For the sake of charity, Alex Salnik of San Jose has agreed to share his secrets, little mysteries about women that he believes could change your life. Marlaina Ward of Santa Cruz will come to your home and bless your baby. And James Grant of Saratoga will teach you, in 15 minutes, how to pick a combination lock. They are a new breed of philanthropists coming together on an online site launched this month, an EBay-like portal that auctions people's skills — juggling, hula-hooping, pie-baking — and connections to raise money for their favorite charities.

An Oakland volunteer center that helped distribute government money to youth groups and community programs for 25 years will undergo a city audit over allegations that it misused public money. The Volunteer Center of Alameda County, which had offices in Oakland and Pleasanton, filed for bankruptcy in late December.

Southern California Regional Occupational Center, a vocational training school in Torrance, needs volunteers to help with registration, food and beverages, setup and take-down for its annual Job Fair on June 12. Information: Volunteer Center, South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach, (310) 212-5009. * Meals on Wheels in San Pedro, Gardena and Torrance/Lomita needs volunteers to help prepare, pack and deliver meals to housebound elderly clients.

When it comes to indigenous history, Kat High has a warm greeting, a clear mission and answers for all who visit the Haramokngna American Indian Cultural Center. And sometimes her best answers can be to unasked questions. "I come from an area in Wisconsin that's near a Native American area," says Kathy Jones, a first-time visitor to the converted fire depot 12 miles deep in the Angeles National Forest. With a good-natured smile, High responds that historically, "it's all Native American area."

The Volunteer Center of South Orange County will sponsor its Third Annual "Toast From the Heart" wine auction, gourmet food and wine tasting Wednesday. The event, held at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, will feature tastings and an auction of premium, award-winning wines from the United States market. The benefit will begin with the wine and gourmet food tasting at 6:30 p.m. followed by the wine auction at 8.