Working Together to Help Each Other

Social support networks

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

In 2023, the Surgeon General issued a health advisory calling attention to “the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection. Disconnection fundamentally affects our mental, physical, and societal health." (http://bit.ly/4ciDKdn) To combat this health crisis, the Surgeon General recommends “cultivating a culture of connection.” Big Sunday cultivates a culture of connection through volunteerism. There is documented evidence that volunteering produces significant benefits. “Studies have indicated that volunteering is great for your mental health,” said Susan Albers, PsyD, psychologist for Cleveland Clinic. “It has been shown to decrease stress levels, depression, anxiety and boost your overall health and satisfaction with life.” At Big Sunday we know that many people feel unseen, unheard or disconnected. We've created a "third space" - a welcoming place where people can make an impactful difference, while finding friendship, connection and community.

Big Sunday brings people together every week day to help others. We provide opportunities for volunteers to participate in a wide variety of activities: Art Mondays - Volunteers make origami cranes to donate to anyone who can use a lift: shut-ins, the elderly, newly housed individuals.
Sun Days on Tuesdays brings a diverse group together to make unique mosaic suns to brighten up schools and nonprofits. This project also provides temporary paid employment for hard-to-employ people.
Accessible Wednesdays offers volunteers with a wide range of cognitive challenges to do fun activities to help local nonprofits. Thursday Mornings at 10 is our special weekly get together. We do a wide variety of projects, including filling bags of food for hungry families and backpacks for kids. Friday Field Trips provide folks who often don’t have the time or opportunity to go on a special adventure (vets, people in shelters, working poor families, foster youth) with a chance to put aside the daily challenges of life. The benefits of volunteering on one's health are without limit. One Thursday morning participant – a single mom who moved to Los Angeles knowing no one –“I came to Big Sunday to help the community. Instead, I found a community.” Another group of volunteers have befriended another regular participant – a young, single mom who is undocumented and speaks little English – with whom they sit each week, and are all now working to find her a badly-needed paying job.

At Big Sunday, all of our programs provide a sense of connection and community that positively impacts all involved. We aim to make everyone feel seen, heard, and respected. We assume the best in everyone; we see the best in everyone; we work to bring out the best in everyone. Our weekly events are impactful, gratifying and fun. Indeed, many who come take on bigger roles at our other events and programs.
We often think our specialty is "the reluctant volunteer" - those that feel they don't have the time, talent, money or the inclination to help, and even those that feel that they aren’t welcome. We're proud of our ability to engage and empower people who don't usually participate in events like ours. We believe that when you bring diverse people together, many of whom have never met, and they work side-by-side for a common goal, getting to know each other, then it's a lot harder to hate them. And that makes for a kinder, more compassionate world.

Big Sunday tracks and measures success both by how many people we help, as well as how many people we engage and bring together in the name of helping. We measure success by the: · Number and diversity of people who attend each event · Number and diversity of people who participate as sponsors
· Number and diversity of organizations that support our events through volunteerism and/or financial support · Number of items given away · Number and diversity of beneficiaries
· Number of organizations that are helped · Number of people or organizations introduced to Big Sunday through our events that participate and help at future events at Big Sunday and/or the organization(s) supported by this event
We also measure success qualitatively through the letters we receive. "You have all made me believe that kindness does still exist in this crazy world that we live in. Thank you again for your commitment in making this world a better place." [LAUSD teacher]