1) Love animals? Become a guardian angel at Placer SPCA (placerspca.org) to cover the health care costs of an animal in need; check out All About Equine’s (allaboutequine.org) “150 Ways to Help a Horse,” including donating your vehicle; or volunteer at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary (folsomzoofriends.org).

2) If you have a soft spot for the youth, share your talents with your local Boys & Girls Club (bgce.org), donate toward literacy and nutrition programs at My Mother’s Voice (mymothersvoice.org), or mentor a child at Folsom’s Hope (folsomshope.org).

3) Concerned for the homeless? Drive and distribute food to homeless guests with WWJD (wwjdinc.org), donate toward personal care products and clothes for homeless vets with Operation Good to Go (facebook.com/operationgoodtogo), or volunteer with Only Kindness (onlykindness.net) to provide housing for those in need.

4) Help put an end to human trafficking by taking part in 3Strands Global’s Break Free Run on April 10 to bring the issue to light (3strandsglobalfoundation.org) or help with fundraising, advocacy, or counselling for victims of trafficking, assault, and violence with Stand Up Placer (standupplacer.org).

5) Want to feed the hungry? Donate or help distribute food for Placer Food Bank (placerfoodbank.org), Twin Lakes Food Bank (twinlakesfoodbank.org), or Food Bank of El Dorado County (foodbankedc.org), among others.

6) Are the issues of health and wellness close to your heart? Support Placer Breast Cancer Foundation (placerbreastcancerfoundation.org) and mark your calendar for their Hot Pink Fun Run on September 26, become a health coach or volunteer driver for Marshall Medical Center (marshallmedical.org/patients-visitors/community-information/volunteers), or donate blood and plasma through your local Vitalant center (vitalant.org).

7) Support the arts by viewing shows, purchasing artwork, attending art classes, donating, or volunteering in various capacities at your local art gallery, theatre, or dance, music, and craft studios.

8) Support your community through various philanthropic efforts like grants, scholarships, and community projects with the El Dorado Community Foundation (eldoradocf.org) and Placer Community Foundation (placercf.org). You can also look for volunteer opportunities on your respective city’s website.

9) Preserve our rich history by becoming a member of local museums and historical societies like the Folsom History Museum (folsomhistoricalsociety.org), Roseville Historical Society (rosevillehistorical.org), or the El Dorado County Historical Society (eldoradocountyhistoricalsociety.org). 

10) Help with conservation efforts at the American River Conservancy (arconservancy.org), volunteer at Murer House events (murerhouse.org), or become a hike docent and maintain trails with Placer Land Trust (placerlandtrust.org).