Volunteer with Cheli Mohamed

By JP Emerson

Please introduce yourself (tell us a little about you)? – 

My name is Cheli Mohamed. I am originally from Brawley, CA. I moved to San Diego to complete my undergraduate degree at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and never left. I have a master’s degree in organizational leadership from National University. I have spent 25 years in non-profit social services and 7 years working in local government. My professional background includes program and corporate development, volunteer management, crisis intervention, HIV/AIDS prevention and education, fundraising, and special events. I am a ovarian cancer survivor, a Virgo, and mother of two kids. I am also a CA Commissioner appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to California Volunteers. 

How did Volunteer with Cheli come about?

In February 2013, a community activist (Benny Cartwright) called me on my phone and said “I know that you have a lot of volunteers that follow you and I need your help tonight.” He was coordinating a Candlelight Vigil and needed volunteers for his event. I put the word out on my social media network and told interested volunteers to reach out directly to him. The next day he called to thank me. A dozen people had shown up simply because I asked if they could help. I was overwhelmed and touched by the outpour of support.

Soon, other community groups and organizations reached out asking for volunteer help. I kept putting the word out, volunteers kept showing up. One day when I was working on a specific project for then-Assemblymember Toni Akins, I made a personal request for help. One response from a volunteer was “Will I get to Volunteer with Cheli if I show up?” and that is how Volunteer with Cheli was born! We launched our Facebook Group in January 2014. We quickly gained momentum in the community by working on beach cleanups and helping organizations working directly with the homeless, youth, and the sober community.

We officially incorporated in 2017 as a non-profit organization and continue to grow with more than 300 registered volunteers and partnering with more than 35 community organizations.

What inspires you to Volunteer?

I believe that inspiration comes from my Nana. She always insisted that we help people, whether that was as simple as helping someone cross the street to lending a hand for labor-intensive projects. She viewed everyone as a neighbor and friend, there were no strangers. Now our volunteers inspire me every day, helping organizations that support homelessness, those seeking asylum, to folks that promote awareness and education about causes that impact our community everyday such as HIV/AIDS or our transgender community. We are ONE.

How can folks get involved?

Folks get involved by going to our website www.volunteerwithcheli.org and completing our volunteer application. Because we work with seniors, youth and handle money, we do require a background check. But we are lucky enough to have a grant in place that helps cover the cost.

Once you get approved, we send out a weekly newsletter and folks can choose the event or events that they would like to volunteer for.

We are kicking off 2025, what hopes, dreams or goals are you setting up for this new year?

Personally, my goal in 2025 is to stay healthy and keep fighting ovarian cancer. We have a lot of work to do in the next 4 years. My dream remains the same: to help create a world where we all come together to help one another regardless of our differences. My goal is to continue to strengthen the relationships with our current partners and to make connections with 6 new partners. We are looking at ways to broaden our reach, diversify our membership, and expand our brand outside of San Diego County. We want to ENGAGE, INSPIRE, and EMPOWER folks to go out and make a difference in their communities.

Aside from volunteering what else are you passionate about?

Excellent question. I want to believe that aside from volunteering I am passionate about being a better person, a better partner to (Sue), a better parent to (RJ and Brianna), a better friend, and a better HUMAN, everyday waking up and challenging myself to be a better human. 

How can folks connect with you?

Cheli@volunteerwithcheli.org

www.volunteerwithcheli.org

Volunteer with Cheli | San Diego CA | Facebook

Cheli Mohamed (@volunteerwithcheli) • Instagram photos and videos

619-883-3152