Why Volunteer with
CARE Los Angeles?
“Presenting the CARE credit use program to young people is an honor and a privilege. It provides an extraordinary educational experience for mainly high school students of a critically important life skill, particularly as it is presented to them by Bankruptcy Judges, attorneys, financial advisors and bankers who address the problems of excess credit use that they see in the real world. It is also an amazing experience for presenters such as myself when I see the light go on in the students’ eyes and as they start asking questions that show they are interested in the information that is being conveyed to them. I am grateful to CARE for allowing me to employ my experience as a bankruptcy attorney and parent for such as useful purpose.”
Robert Saunders Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP
Teaching kids about financial literacy has been one of the most rewarding volunteer opportunities I have ever had. It is a shame that kids graduate from high school not knowing the difference between debit cards, credit cards and pre-paid cards and the impact each of them can have on your life. CARE has created a tool for these kids to kickstart and protect their financial health. The lessons are invaluable and the kids and their teachers show their enthusiasm for learning, which brings a warm feeling of satisfaction to me each time I present the information in the classrooms.
Sharon Kopman JD
I realized as my daughter, now a young adult, went through school that she never learned the basics of financial literacy in her classes. She never learned about the need for and establishing good credit. She never learned why or when she should use a debit vs. a credit card and what happens if you do not pay your credit card bill timely. As a bankruptcy trustee I see hundreds of Chapter 7 debtors facing financial issues, and I have come to I realized that that they too never learned. I feel we have failed as a system to help people understand the benefits and detriments of creditor card use and abuse.
CARE is the perfect solution. It allows us to help explain to high school students (and sometimes their parents) the whys and wherefores of credit card use, credit management and the need to establish good credit before credit is abused and they face filing their own bankruptcy. I am awed by the attention paid to our presentations and the insightful questions. My only regret is that we cannot reach more students with our program. I am honored and pleased to be part of this excellent program.
Elissa Miller JD
Ready to volunteer for CARE?
Sign UpWhy is Financial
Literacy a Big Deal?
If you’re interested in becoming a CARE volunteer, we invite you to join us now! We’ve got an important mission we’re trying to achieve.
The need to teach the fundamentals of personal financial management has never been greater. A recent survey conducted by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation concluded that Americans demonstrate low levels of financial literacy and have difficulty applying financial decision-making skills to real-life situations.
For example, most Americans do not comparison-shop for credit cards, with 61% saying that in obtaining their most recent credit card, they did not collect and compare information about cards from more than one company. Despite the need, the “2018 Survey of the States” conducted by the Council for Economic Education found that there has been little increase in economic education in recent years and no growth in personal finance education in K-12 schools.
As a volunteer, you have the power to change this. CARE Los Angeles has been working with Los Angeles-area schools and organizations for the last 5 years and has built coalitions with over 15 schools who invite us back year after year to give CARE presentations.
Ready to volunteer for CARE?
Does CARE Los Angeles Train its Volunteers?
How does the process work?
New Volunteer Registration Registering does not commit you to do a presentation. Instead, you will get access to our online scheduling system – Volgistics. We’ll review your application and admit you to the program within a few days.
Join a CARE presentation as an observer. Read and review the materials in advance to understand what’s being discussed and take notes for your first presentation!
Join a seasoned CARE volunteer on your first presentation on a topic you care about most.
Feeling comfortable? Now you can go solo if you prefer it. You’ll always have the opportunity to be paired with other volunteers.
“CARE volunteers have presented in my classroom on over 10 different occasions. Each time, I am impressed with the level of professionalism of the volunteers whose professions range from judges, to lawyers, to financiers, to bankers, to social workers, and even more. The content is real-world and information my students will be able to apply now, as well as when they enter their adult life in three years. Making students aware and educating them about the financial pitfalls that many young people fall into at such a young age is an invaluable tool that may prevent financial devastation for them in the future. I appreciate the commitment of the CARE organization and the many volunteers who donate their time and have made it their calling to bring this information to the young adults in my classes.”
Gretchen Reynoso
Costa Mesa High School/Freshman Seminar