UCLA Students to Volunteer Throughout Southland

Thousands of UCLA students on Tuesday will help the homeless, work with young students and beautify local parks throughout Los Angeles County as part of the school's fourth annual Volunteer Day.

More than 7,000 volunteers will travel by bus to more than 50 sites in the Los Angeles region. Last year's UCLA Volunteer Day drew more than 7,000 volunteers who worked at 26 sites.

In our neck of the woods, volunteers will clean up maintain trails and remove invasive plants at the UCLA Stunt Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Members of the UCLA community will also volunteer at locations in Woodland Hills, Reseda and Van Nuys in addition to others across the region. Click here to view a complete list of volunteer sites.

The service event began in 2009 with the creation of the UCLA Volunteer Center.

"[Students] go to schools, parks, homeless shelters ... any community partner that is in need," said Rachel Corell, director of the Volunteer Center. 

She hopes UCLA students "can get that taste of service and then continue to volunteer."

This year's projects will be a bit smaller than last year's, involving no more than 300 volunteers at each site, with most averaging about 100 helpers, Corell said.

"At the end of the day, we want (students) to be able to go out and do this on their own during their career as a Bruin [and] after they graduate as well," she said.

Are you participating in UCLA Volunteer Day 2012? Tell us in the comments section below.