Volunteering is available to all spouses. Regardless of your nonimmigrant status, you are eligible to volunteer for a religious, charitable, civic, humanitarian, or similar non-profit organization as a public service, provided that the activity is part of a volunteer program and not unpaid work. A volunteer role cannot displace regular employees or perform work that would otherwise be performed by regular employees. A volunteer cannot receive or expect any compensation or benefit from the volunteer activity. For example, you can volunteer at a food bank to distribute donations to food bank clients, but you cannot intend or expect to become the pantry manager as a direct result of volunteering. A volunteer position is not a disguised job or a trial experience to get paid employment.
Depending on your availability, your interest, and the volunteer program, your activities can range from one-day engagements to regular, full-time volunteering.
If you are in a nonimmigrant status that does not allow for work authorization, such as F-2, H-4, TD, or O-3, you can only engage in activities that are traditionally filled by volunteers at religious, charitable, civic, humanitarian, or similar non-profit organizations and are never paid. Other nonimmigrant statuses, such as such as J-2, L-2, E-1, 2, or 3. may allow you to apply for work authorization. Until you receive work authorization, the same guidance applies to you, too: you may only engage in activities that are traditionally filled by volunteers at religious, charitable, civic, humanitarian, or similar non-profit organizations and are never paid.
Volunteering is different from working. If you do not have work authorization, you cannot volunteer at a for-profit company, you cannot fill a role that is usually filled by a regular employee, you cannot perform a task or job that should be paid and you cannot receive or expect any benefit or compensation from the volunteer activity. For example, volunteering at a food bank to distribute donations to food bank clients, is different from managing the pantry or managing the volunteers, which are traditionally paid positions.
Background Check. Most nonprofits will investigate a volunteer candidate's background such as employment, education, criminal, credit history, and motor vehicle and license records. However, if you have only recently arrived in the United States, you may not have any of these records. Instead, some nonprofits will conduct a Fingerprint Background Check to confirm that you do not have a criminal record.
Definition of a Volunteer. A volunteer is an individual who donates their services to a religious, charitable, civic, humanitarian, or similar non-profit organization as a public service. This means that you can volunteer at non-profit organizations, provided you do not receive or expect any compensation or benefit.
Volunteering in Pasadena. One of the particularities of Pasadena is its number of charity organizations: more than 1,500 organizations exist in our city of about 160,000 residents. Volunteering is very common in the U.S, and particularly in Pasadena. One reason is its sociological and economical diversity: a mix of wealthy families who have been living in Pasadena for generations and other families who live below the federal poverty guidelines (Source: Families Forward Learning Center.org). A weekly magazine, the Outlook, informs the community about all the activities and events held by local charities during the prior week.
We have identified almost 400 non-profit organizations. With so many local organizations, it can be overwhelming to decide where to volunteer so we have selected a number of them for you to consider. This is not an exhaustive list. The organizations are grouped into 17 categories and organized alphabetically here. We hope that your interests are represented on our list. If not, please let us know.
Most of the organizations are in Pasadena; however, some are also located in and around Los Angeles. We have tried to stay within a 25-mile radius. Distances in Los Angeles can be deceiving, and the time that it can take to drive somewhere can change dramatically during rush hour. If you need to drive, please read our driving section beforehand to find out about California driving licenses. You can also consider public transportation or biking for Pasadena area organizations.
We believe that volunteering can be a way to help you transition smoothly to a new environment. Even though it is not paid employment, volunteering can help you overcome loneliness and help you integrate into the Pasadena community. There are many reasons to volunteer but here are four good ones to consider.
Adjust. Participating in a new environment will allow you to experience U.S. work culture and it will help improve your comfortability in English. There are many ways someone can volunteer, and often English fluency is not required. You can assist others or contribute your skills and talents.
Network. While volunteering, you are going to meet new people and hopefully, you will establish new friendships based on shared interests. This social network will help you become involved with and connected to other members of the Pasadena community.
Give Back. Volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to the community. If you belong to the fortunate class who does not need special assistance in any way, volunteering is the best way to never take your situation for granted.
Validate. You may spend hours every week volunteering in one or more non-profit organizations and furthering their missions. Since it is important to document your volunteer contributions, remember to ask the organization for a recommendation as you move on to your next adventure.
DISCLAIMER: The information provided on this website is for general information only. Caltech does not endorse or recommend any of the organizations listed.