Volunteering is rewarding for everyone involved, both those that receive the help and those who give. Maria Elena Garcia knows this and volunteers for a group known as Skate for Change, which represents itself as “ Youth empowerment through skateboarding and helping our local communities through action,” according to http://www.actionsportsfordev.org.

Skate For Change (SFC) is non-profit group founded in 2012 that aims to “combine skateboarding and outreach together,” the website explains. Over 80 chapters exist worldwide and one of them is here in Fairfield.

Garcia chose to participate in SFC because she wanted to help the local homeless. She and other volunteers help the less fortunate by giving them things they need, like bottled water, food, soap and socks. SFC collects these items in two ways: through donations or directly purchasing them.

According to the organization website http://skateforchange.org, the group focuses on the idea that everyone has value and that leadership is action. They believe that helping others is simple. “You do it because it’s the right thing to do,” the website says.

The local group of volunteers started in March. Garcia is responsible for sharing about activities planned. Those activities happen once or twice a month, focusing on homeless in downtown, by the Fairfield public library and in Allen Witt Park.

Anyone can participate, and those who want to join can find out more at https://skateforchange.org/join/.