Volunteer
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the JMMF Ocean Therapy sessions!
Volunteer
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the JMMF Ocean Therapy sessions!
Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the JMMF Ocean Therapy sessions! Please click the link above and scroll down the page to view the 2024 Ocean Therapy Session dates.
Sessions are mainly held at four locations:
Manhattan Beach
Rosecrans-40th Street Ocean Therapy Sessions
Volunteers meet on the beach at the JMMF tents located between the Rosecrans and 40th Street lifeguard towers. Parking is available in the El Porto lot or in the lots near Rosecrans Ave and Highland Ave. Meters accept quarters and/or credit cards.
Camp Pendleton
Wounded Warrior Battalion West Ocean Therapy Sessions
Volunteers meet at the JMMF tents on Del Mar Beach located near the Del Mar jetty (DMJ’s) at the south end of the parking lot on Camp Pendleton.
The base requires that all volunteers have proper identification which must be submitted at least 7 days prior to entering the base. You will need to apply for a Volunteer pass at the Visitors Center at Camp Pendleton. Additionally, you will need to bring a valid US Passport or driver license, proof of Car Insurance and Car Registration to be able to drive on base.
South Ponto State Beach
Second Saturday Veterans Ocean Therapy Sessions
Volunteers meet in the South Ponto State Beach parking lot just north of the Alila Marea Beach Resort. Day passes are available for purchase or you can park on the highway bordering the State Beach. Please be careful with traffic!
Coronado Shores
Veterans Ocean Therapy Sessions at Coronado
Volunteers meet at the JMMF tents on the beach at Stan’s Beach on Coronado Island, San Diego. Head west on Avenida De Las Arenas off Silver Strand Blvd and park in the Coronado Shores Parking Lot at the end of Avenida De Las Arenas. Climb the ramp and join us on the beach!
Volunteer Roles
Volunteers play an important role in making our Ocean Therapy sessions successful. We seek volunteers to carry out the following roles on the beach at the sessions. Please review the roles and determine which best suits your abilities:
Surf Instructor
A volunteer Surf Instructor is an individual who is proficient and comfortable in a variety of conditions in the ocean, can remain calm under pressure and is strong enough to hold and ride the back of the board. The volunteer may have experience teaching surfing, but many are taught how to teach by the Ocean Therapy staff. Our goal is to train Water Safety Volunteers to become Surf Instructors.
Requirements: Must have experience in surf instruction. Must know CPR.
Planning: Bring a wetsuit, a towel and change of clothes. Personal surfboard is optional and encouraged!
Water Safety
Water Safety Volunteers perform a complementary role to the Surf Instructor throughout the surf lesson and support the Athlete in a variety of ways during the Surf Session. They help the participant up after they fall off the board, retrieve the board, hold the Athlete’s hand on the way out to the surf, give them positive encouragement and affirmation and a lot of high-fives! Water volunteers are individuals who would like to get involved in the surf lesson and typically have a love for the ocean that they want to share with others, but may not be comfortable as a Surf Instructor yet. All new volunteers that want to become a Surf Instructor are required to start as a Water Safety Volunteer.
Requirements: Must be able to ocean swim. The volunteer will be in the water during instruction. Knowledge of how to properly handle a surfboard in waves is helpful.
Planning: Wear a bathing suit, please bring a wetsuit if you have one. Bring a towel and change of clothes.
Beach Volunteer
A Beach Volunteer typically is an individual who wants to support the session and participants but may not be as comfortable in the ocean. They perform a number of important duties including helping set up and take down the tents, check in, bringing hydration to the participants during the Surf Session, rinsing boards and wetsuits after the Surf Session, lunch preparation and serving, and clean up. We love for Beach Volunteers to be on the shore cheering on the participants while they are surfing and giving them positive reinforcement throughout the day.
Media / Arts
If you have a talent in the Media/Arts space, we’d love to find a way to involve you with our Ocean Therapy sessions! We need photographers, videographers, drone pilots to help capture content for our website and social media. Or may you be an artist, painter or designer and want to contribute your talents in another way. Help us tell the stories involved in our Ocean Therapy session in your own creative way!
Requirements: Check in with the Operations Manager for instructions and direction.
Volunteer Policies
JMMF Volunteer Code of Conduct Policy
JMMF Reporting & No Retaliation Policy
Ready to Volunteer?
Please complete and sign the online volunteer waiver form. Please note that due to regulation, all paperwork must be completed prior to joining a session.
If you have any questions, contact us at volunteer@jimmymillerfoundation.org
