FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

 A volunteer is an individual who performs hours of service in a County department for civic, charitable, health, humanitarian, recreational, public safety or general welfare reasons, without promise, expectation or receipt of compensation for services rendered, except for reimbursement of expenses, reasonable benefits, nominal fees or a combination thereof. Individuals shall be considered volunteers only when their services are offered freely and without pressure of coercion, direct or implied, from the County.

 DPSS is the Department of Public Social Services, one of the largest departments in the County of Los Angeles. DPSS is the agency responsible for providing a multitude of services to families, seniors, and single adults in need. 

 DPSS has 63 offices throughout LA County. Volunteers could be assigned to work at any DPSS office depending on the interest and skill set of the volunteer and the needs of the offices.

Volunteers can choose from a variety of projects but are ultimately responsible for assisting staff as necessary.

Volunteer hours are set depending on a person’s availability. Volunteers may work as few as one hour per week up to 40 hours per week for a given time period. Some volunteers work once a week while others work every day for a period of time and others work a variety of schedules in between. DPSS appreciates and welcomes any amount of time that volunteers can donate.

Volunteers at DPSS perform critical duties to support the difficult and complex work of assisting families. Volunteers have stated that they enjoy volunteering at DPSS because no matter what tasks they perform, they believe they are making a real difference in the lives of families. They enjoy a sense of fulfillment and purpose from knowing that they are performing meaningful work.

 To become a volunteer at DPSS, you must first complete a volunteer application. This application will ask you about your experience, expertise and interests to identify a meaningful volunteer placement for you. Next, you must submit to fingerprinting to ensure that you are free from criminal convictions that would disqualify you from serving as a volunteer. Once this process is complete, you will be ready to begin your experience as a volunteer.