Orange County residents are changing their community by volunteering at nonprofits that help out individuals in need and cleaning up our environment, while also showing that coming together can make a difference.

In order to understand the importance and impact of local volunteering, three Orange County organizations (the executive director of OC Habitats, the founder of Volunteer Network, and the communications director of Orange County Coastkeeper) share how their work has shaped the community and their own lives.

OC Habitats

OC Habitats is a nonprofit organization that is based on the foundation of providing habitat protection throughout Orange County, CA. Founded in 2017, OC Habitats focuses on restoration, education, and monitoring.

OC Habitats has done a lot of work with the community over the last eight years. OC Habitats has hosted many programs that impact our local, regional and global communities. Executive Director and Founder Stacey Chartier-Grable shared what motivated her to establish OC Habitats and work on the issues she specializes in.

“I felt that OC had some environmental gaps that needed to be addressed, specifically with environmental education, restoration, and monitoring,” Chartier-Grable said.

When leading a nonprofit, there needs to be intention behind the values that guide it. Chartier-Grable shared with us what guides OC Habitats’ positive approach to community service.

“The earth is something that every single person and species relies on to live, and giving volunteer opportunities, internship experiences, and career opportunities to the community is important to the overall success of conservation and OC Habitats’ mission,” Chartier-Grable said.

Chartier-Grable said the most rewarding moments come from seeing the results of what OC Habitats has done with the problems that are quickly solved, but also the problems that are solved over time. She shared what has been the most rewarding part of OC Habitats environmental work.

“Knowing that the work we do directly impacts our local wildlife and in turn impacts our human health in many ways has been satisfying. Our internship program has also been a hugely rewarding experience,” Chartier-Grable said.

Orange County Coastkeeper

Orange County Coastkeeper, founded in 1999, works to promote sustainable water resources. Today, OC Coastkeeper works with volunteers and employees to promote sustainable water resources across California. Communications director Matthew Sylvester discussed the organization’s mission and goals.

“Equal access is a huge one for us. Orange County Coastkeeper believes that everyone deserves access to swimmable, drinkable, fishable, and sustainable waters, no matter their background or ability, … I love that Coastkeeper approaches water protection from so many different angles,” Sylvester said.

Sylvester also shared what inspired him to join OC Coastkeeper and what drives his passion for the organization.

“I’ve been passionate about protecting the environment for as long as I can remember…The most rewarding part of my work with Orange County Coastkeeper is seeing the impact my small part in this large mission can make,” Sylvester said.

Sylvester shared what he has observed in the workers and volunteers that help out at OC Coastkeepers.

“Anyone involved in this work…[does] it because they have a personal connection to keeping our environment safe… it is important to stay connected to others who are also trying to care for our landscape,” Sylvester said.

Volunteer Network OC

Volunteer Network OC is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2015, whose mission is to connect volunteers to organizations who provide services to people in need here in Irvine California. The founder of Volunteer Network OC, William L. Cates, shared what encouraged him to start his nonprofit organization.

“I wanted to give back to people who were in need…and I had a hard time finding volunteer opportunities. So I thought I’d create a website to tell the company’s story and Volunteer Network makes it easy for them to post their needs, and for volunteers to see it,” Cates said.

Cates explained how the experience has reshaped his life.

“It changed my life. Volunteering has made me a much better human being than I was before I started. I’m much kinder, and the impact on me made me a better person. I truly believe in the dignity of every human being. Every single human being in this world needs to be treated with dignity,” Cates said.

Sometimes the positive effect of helping out comes quickly, or it happens over time, but for Cates, it’s as fast as the relationship grows between him and the people he helps.

“The rewards of doing what we’ve done and meeting the people we meet. You need to go out and volunteer, you’ll meet really great people. They’re always super grateful and it’s just a great feeling,” Cates said.

Lastly, Cates wanted to share what impact he believes community service and volunteering could have on citizens here in Orange County.

“I believe that a community of people who volunteer will have more compassion for people; a more compassionate community is a better community. A community that volunteers is a better community,” Cates said.