VECINOS Volunteer Service Award Program
Volunteering Excellence, Community Impact & Noteworthy Outstanding Service
Celebrating Service and Building Bridges in South Pasadena
The VECINOS Volunteer Service Award is our locally run recognition program created to honor volunteers of all ages who contribute meaningful service to South Pasadena. We modeled this award after the national President’s Volunteer Service Award to offer a similar structure and celebration of service — and unlike the national program, our award program is active and ongoing.
Although the official President’s Volunteer Service Award program is currently paused nationally, our VECINOS program continues without interruption and remains fully available for volunteers in our community.
This initiative celebrates the contributions of students, adults (regardless of immigration status), who dedicate their time, energy, and passion to serving others, strengthening community bonds, and building a more inclusive South Pasadena.
You can still earn both awards simultaneously if you meet the eligibility criteria for the national award — and we’ll help guide you through that process when applicable. But regardless of the status of the national program, Vecinos’ award stands on its own and continues to recognize service excellence right here at home.
President’s Volunteer Service Award
While we are an approved issuer of the President’s Volunteer Service Award the national PVSA program is currently paused and not issuing awards at this time. However, our local VECINOS award continues without interruption.
Volunteer Eligibility
To qualify for these awards, participants must:
- Be at least 5 years old.
- Complete eligible volunteer service within a 12-month period for annual Bronze, Silver, or Gold Awards or over a lifetime for the Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Volunteering hours need not be exclusively for Vecinos, but a combination of volunteering for Vecinos and other organizations combined. You may track and add volunteering hours for other organizations in addition to Vecinos, such as: AYSO, SPHS Latinx Club, SPHS Key Club, South Pasadena Tournament of Roses (SPTOR), South Pasadena Arts Council (SPARC), Friends of the South Pasadena Library, South Pasadena Summer Reading Program, South Pasadena Beautiful, etc. To be sure, please get the organization you’d like to volunteer for verified by our award program manager before assuming.
| Age Group | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Lifetime Achievement Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kids (5–10 years old) | 26–49 hours | 50–74 hours | 75+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
| Teens (11–15) | 50–74 hours | 75–99 hours | 100+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
| Young Adults (16–25) | 100–174 hours | 175–249 hours | 250+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
| Adults (26+) | 100–249 hours | 250–499 hours | 500+ hours | 4,000+ hours |
Eligible Service Activities
Volunteering must be unpaid and benefit others. Examples include:
- Help Vecions events.
- Helping with community projects.
- Volunteering through schools, nonprofits, or community organizations.
- Reffing games for AYSO.
- Service through National Service programs like Peace Corps or AmeriCorps (these hours are counted only for Lifetime Achievement Awards).
- Environmental work like beach or river clean up, trail restoration, tree planting or volunteering for the South Pasadena Community Garden, Arlington Garden or Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden.
- Helping the Pasadena animal shelter by walking or bathing dogs, or cleaning their kennels. They also need help with their social media, photographing animals, etc., this helps find pets new homes.
- Collecting, sorting, bagging food for a local pantry or toiletries for a local shelter.
- Organize and lead a Shoe Drive for Soles for Souls, or an eyeglass drive for Assist International (collected by Costco). These organizations take our old shoes and eye glasses and get them to people in need.
- Washing cars or selling lemonade to raise funds for an animal shelter or cancer society.
- Volunteer at a local nursing home by bringing a sense of home to residents. Ideas include: playing card games, hosting dances or musical performances, host bingo night, decorate the corridors and bedrooms for the changing seasons, help residents tidy up their rooms.
- For more ideas Google “finding volunteer opportunities near me.” If you need more ideas, reach out to us and we’ll help you find something local that matches your interests!
Ineligible Activities
The following do not qualify as eligible volunteer service:
- Simply donating funds to an organization.
- Political lobbying (though non-partisan voter registration is allowed).
- Religious instruction or proselytizing.
- Conducting worship services.
- Court-ordered community service.
- Serving only family members.
- Attending regular meetings of an organization such as Latinx Club, Boy or Girl Scout meetings.
- Fundraising activities for a member’s own organization. For example, time spent earning money through the sale of Boy Scout popcorn, Girl scout cookies, Latinx Club pizza day, etc., these cannot be counted as community service. However, efforts to raise money for another charitable organization, such as a car wash or lemonade stand to raise funds for the animal shelter or cancer society, could be counted.
Get Started Today!
Join us in celebrating the spirit of service and inclusivity. This program not only acknowledges the dedication of students but also strengthens our community bonds, bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds to share the richness of Latino culture and build a brighter future for all. Email us to get started with subject VECINOS AWARD!