Thank you for your interest in hosting a fundraising campaign for South Central LAMP. For more information, please contact our Development Director, Nicole Cosand Burcham, at nburcham@southcentrallamp.org.
Thank you for your interest in volunteering at South Central LAMP. Volunteers are an important part of the work we do!
If you are a part of a company, high school, or college service program, and would like to provide service hours by volunteering at South Central LAMP, please contact our Development Director, Nicole Burcham, at nburcham@southcentrallamp.org to plan a volunteer visit. Short-term volunteers are needed on Beautifying Days to help spruce up our spaces (gardening, painting, and cleaning), to host food and toy drives, wrap toys, decorate for holidays, and help our teachers in the classrooms and staff in our offices.
If you are looking to become a long-term volunteer, you must complete a Volunteer Application and contact our Program Director, Jessie Hernandez, at jhernandez@southcentrallamp.org before volunteering. For the protection of the children we serve, all long-term volunteers must consent to a background check and complete a TB test.
If you need to fulfill your ECE practicum hours for college credit, please also contact our Program Director, Jessie Hernandez, at jhernandez@southcentrallamp.org as she will need additional information and documentation from you.
NO WALK-IN VOLUNTEERS PLEASE.
Meet Lisa Byrne! A valued member of our Programs Committee, Lisa has been volunteering and giving back to South Central LAMP for the past three years.
I first learned about South Central LAMP through my work at Mayfield Junior School of the Holy Child, where I have taught drama for the past 16 years. As a Holy Child ministry, South Central LAMP has long been an important partner in our school’s commitment to service, justice, and Cornelia Connelly’s mission to “meet the wants of the age.” Over the years, I have accompanied several groups of our eighth-grade students, faculty, and staff as they volunteered at South Central LAMP—working with children, cleaning classrooms, gardening, painting, and helping wherever we were needed. Through those experiences, I witnessed the incredible sense of community and dignity that South Central LAMP creates for every woman, child, and family. When I began my doctoral studies in Educational Leadership for Social Justice at Loyola Marymount University, I knew South Central LAMP was the place where I wanted to deepen my involvement by combining my passion for theatre, education, and social justice.
Since then, I have had the privilege of serving as a Programs Committee member, volunteer, and theatre teaching artist. Through my doctoral research this year, I facilitated creative drama and storytelling workshops with women in the Family Literacy Program, using arts-based research and ethnodrama to explore themes of female empowerment. It has been an incredibly meaningful experience to create a welcoming space where participants can share their stories, discover their voices, and build community through creativity.
One of my favorite memories has been watching women who initially insisted they “weren’t performers” gradually embrace the creative process with confidence and joy. Seeing participants encourage one another, laugh together, and discover the power of sharing their own stories has been incredibly moving. I also treasure the memories of bringing Mayfield students to South Central LAMP over the years and watching them develop empathy, compassion, and a deeper understanding of what it means to serve alongside a community rather than simply for a community.
The women, children, and families at South Central LAMP have profoundly shaped both my personal and professional life. Their resilience, courage, generosity, and hope inspire me every time I visit. They have reminded me that everyone has a story worth telling and that true empowerment begins when people are seen, heard, and valued. Their willingness to trust, share, and support one another has strengthened my own commitment to using the arts as a tool for connection, healing, and social change.
Volunteering at South Central LAMP matters because it is rooted in relationships. It is not simply about completing a project or providing a service—it is about building community, honoring the dignity of every person, and learning from one another. As a Holy Child educator, I believe South Central LAMP beautifully embodies our shared mission of compassion, justice, and hospitality. Every volunteer brings unique gifts, but we leave having received far more than we have given. South Central LAMP is a place where lives are transformed through kindness, respect, and the simple act of showing up for one another.
If you’ve ever considered volunteering, I encourage you to take that first step. Whether you have a few hours to give or are looking for a more ongoing commitment, you’ll discover what I have—that South Central LAMP doesn’t just change the lives of the families it serves; it changes the lives of those who serve alongside them.
Lisa Byrne
Programs Committee Member
Meet Kayla Yokoyama Dodge! A valued member of our Board of Trustees, Kayla has been volunteering and giving back to South Central LAMP for the past five years.
I first started working with South Central LAMP with Mayfield Senior School’s Alum Council. We gathered books for a book drive, jackets for a winter coat drive, and helped with a spring festival for the families.
When I attended the women’s graduation a few years back, I knew that this was something I wanted to be a part of on a larger scale. It was exciting to see the graduates and all their supporters. Hearing the women’s stories brought their experiences to life and truly inspired me.
One of my main focuses in life is empowering women. I really believe in SCLAMP’s mission, because when you help mothers, you help families, and the entire community. Becoming a mother myself made this even clearer to me. South Central LAMP provides a village for these mothers, and I see that every time I visit.
My favorite volunteer experience with SCLAMP is Beautifying Day. On this day, we get to spruce up the campus by participating in things like painting and gardening. Another of my favorite events is the Toy Wrapping event during Christmastime. I’ve invited friends to join me, and they have also seen the magic of this wonderful organization.
To those who are interested in volunteering, I suggest choosing an on-campus activity. Here, you can experience the amazing energy of the mothers and children. Even if classes are not in session, you can peek inside the rooms and see the great work that goes on at SCLAMP.
Whether it’s a Beautifying Day, the LA Big 5K run, or the Thanksgiving Food Drive – you won’t regret any time you spend at or with South Central LAMP – in fact, it may change your life!
Kayla Yokoyama Dodge
Board of Trustees
