Breathe California of the Bay Area

As the local lung health leader, Breathe California of the Bay Area fights lung disease in all its forms and works with its communities to promote lung health.

We believe the most significant impact on people's lives takes place through local interaction. Through education, political advocacy, cutting-edge research and patient services, we use a comprehensive approach to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce the impact of lung disease. With a committed core of volunteers and staff who hold hope, determination, action and vigilance as the cornerstones to creating change, we will continue our drive to ensure we can all breathe easier.

Since 1911, our grassroots non-profit organization has dedicated itself to helping all local residents breathe easier. Originally founded as the Tuberculosis Society and later working under three other names (including the American Lung Association of Santa Clara-San Benito Counties, 1970-2005), we have offered a wide array of services that address the most pressing lung health issues of our time. This includes programs to:

teach kids how to manage their asthma;
prevent teens from using tobacco;
assist smokers who want to quit;
offer support to local COPD & lung cancer patients;
advocate for clean air policies; and
support innovative lung disease research.

Other Volunteer Positions:

Normal 0 Health Speakers Bureau

Do you have an interest in health education and would like to develop your public speaking skills?  Now you can by becoming a Community Health Speaker. 

You will have the opportunity to educate companies, agencies and schools on the different lung diseases, secondhand smoke and air quality.  We will train you on all you that you need to know about each topic.  Here are our most popular topics:

·         Secondhand Smoke

·         Dangers of Tobacco

·         Influenza

·         Is it a Cold, Flu or Pneumonia?

·         Breathing Healthy: Clean Indoor Air

·        Benefits of Exercise

• Tuberculosis 101

Health Fairs & Community outreach

Help raise awareness about lung disease and clean air by representing Breathe California at various community agencies, corporations and college campuses.  Distribute educational materials on the different lung diseases affecting our community talk to people about our agency’s programs and activities.  This is a unique opportunity to learn more about lung health issues and interact with the public that our agency serves!
 

Clerical Workers

We are always looking for volunteers that would like to help our staff with general office work such as bulk mailings, data entry, filing, copying, creating Word and Excel documents and occasionally answer the phone.  With this position, you also get to experience a non-profit office firsthand and to work closely with our dedicated, enthusiastic and fun-loving staff.
 
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Tobacco Education & Smoking Cessation

Participate in our adult program from smoking prevention and cessation by becoming a Smoking Cessation Counselor for our Ash kickers Classes.  Or teach minors the hazards of smoking by becoming a Teen Diversion Facilitator for our Smokeless Saturday Classes.

Teen Smoking Prevention Program

Counseling Leadership Against Smoking Pressures (CLASP), a smoking prevention program that trains high school students how to teach middle schoolers about the hazards of smoking.  Assist our CLASP Program Associate in facilitating high school peer mentor trainings, transporting high school students to and from local middle schools, observing and supporting sessions at middle school classrooms, evaluating pre and post surveys as well as student and teacher evaluations.  CLASP presentations are done during school hours.

 
Asthma Management Educator

Do you like working with children?  If you do, our asthma management program needs you.  Help teach asthmatic children how to manage their asthma by facilitating asthma management sessions in Santa Clara County school districts.  Must be available during school hours.

 
Camp Superstuff – Asthma Camp Counselors

If you like working with kids, then show asthmatic children ages 6 – 12 a fun way to manage their asthma!  Breathe California holds a weeklong summer day camp to teach kids the important asthma management techniques so that they will be able to lead healthier and more active lives. You will be trained to help the campers recognize their triggers, take medication correctly and show them the fun ways to exercise with asthma.  Must be available for the full week of camp.

Climate Change Advocates

Climate Change has become a hot topic lately and we are looking for volunteers to assist us with are new clean air and climate change programs.  Attend community meetings on clean air issues, find current information on these topics, conduct surveys, and assist in other outreach activities.

 
Indoor Air Quality Specialist
Help families breathe easier in their homes by becoming an Indoor Air Quality Specialist.  Our specialists are trained to identify indoor air hazards that can aggravate allergies, asthma and other lung-related conditions through home inspections.  This is a free service offered through our agency.

Seniors Breathe Easy Project Assistant

The Better Breathers Club is a monthly support group for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). We are looking assistance with the following tasks: recruit professional guest speakers, maintain a current schedule of the monthly BBC sessions, call BBC members to remind them of upcoming meetings, introduce guest speakers to BBC participants, expand and maintain a current list of potential speakers and participants, and gather stories as well as testimonials from BBC members to be published in the BBC newsletter.

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Youth Volunteers

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Counseling Leadership Again Smoking Pressures (C.L.A.S.P.)
CLASP is a community-based peer-mentoring program that focuses on developing decision-making skills and to teach techniques on recognizing and resisting pressure to use tobacco.  Join hundreds of teens who actively educate junior high students on the dangers of tobacco use and expose the truth about the tobacco industry.  Earn community service hours, develop counseling and leadership skills, and gain excellent experience for job and college applications.

Smoke-free Movies Project: Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down!  (TUTD)

Do you like the movies?  Did you know that the Tobacco industry makes about $4 billion life time sales because of teens seeing tobacco in movies targeted to youth (rated G/PG/PG-13)?  You can make a difference by joining hundred of teens in this advocacy project that educates youth and young adults about Big Tobacco’s influence in the film industry.  Become a trained youth advocate and participate in our advocacy activities, which include watching and rating movies, giving presentations to other youths or young adult groups, request youth groups to endorse a resolution, collect petition signatures or writing letters to movie producers.  Earn community service hours for the trainings, watch and rate blockbuster films, develop public speaking skills and gain real world job experience! 

 
Camp Superstuff – Asthma Camp Counselors

If you like working with kids, then show asthmatic children ages 6 – 12 a fun way to manage their asthma!  Breathe California holds a weeklong summer day camp to teach kids the important asthma management techniques so that they will be able to lead healthier and more active lives. You will be trained to help the campers recognize their triggers, take medication correctly and show them the fun ways to exercise with asthma.  Must be available for the full week of camp.

 
Youth for a Cool Earth (YCE)
Youth for a cool earth is a multi-facted program designed to give students the opportunity to join the fight against global warming in the Bay Area.  Students are empowered with practical skills and knowledge that they can use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  You participate in a number of different activities designed to combat global warming.  Become a student activist and earn community service hours, leadership and peer mentoring training.

Outreach Representatives

Do you like festivals and community fairs?  Then become an outreach rep! At these fun events you will spread the word about our programs and services, while educating them on the importance of respiratory health, clean air and smoke-free communities.  Man a booth, talk to people about Breathe California, pass out fliers and brochures, or even just get people to participate in a game or too, while promoting healthy lifestyles.

Event Volunteers

Breathe California holds and participates in many events throughout the year that need several volunteers, even groups!  Participate in our annual fundraising special events with your friends, family and school groups to either help raise money or to assist with event day activities.  In the Spring, experience the spectacle at Bay 2 Breakers.  In the Summer, cruise around with the riders for Bike 4 Breath.  In the Fall, cheer on our very own at our Breath of Life Walk-a-thon.