Teen Volunteers in Action San Diego Chapter 1 collected donations for a program serving unhoused residents when it opened its 2026-27 season at San Dieguito County Park on Aug. 30, according to a news release published in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The chapter gathered supplies for Showers of Blessings, a program run by churches in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego that provides mobile showers, clean clothes, socks, toiletries and fresh towels to men, women and children experiencing homelessness in coastal San Diego County. The program operates weekly at locations across the region, according to the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation. Showers of Blessings is one of roughly 50 philanthropy partners that Teen Volunteers in Action works with countywide.
The nonprofit, known as TVIA, was founded in 2000 by Rancho Santa Fe resident and philanthropist Franci Free. She started the group after recognizing that no service organizations in the area focused on teen boys. TVIA now has six chapters across San Diego County, with membership open to young men in grades 7-12 and their families. The chapters pair volunteer work with leadership development and charitable giving.
At the Aug. 30 gathering, members of the chapter's Teen Leadership Council led icebreaker activities for incoming members. Leadership Council members are experienced high school students who take on mentoring roles within each chapter, guiding newer volunteers through their first season.
The event is the second TVIA season opener in the area this year. Chapter 3 held its own event Aug. 23 at Canyon Crest Academy, where members collected donations for Burrito Boyz and La Colonia Community Foundation. During the 2025-26 season, Chapter 3's graduating class logged more than 2,500 hours of volunteer service across the county, according to a separate Union-Tribune report in May.
Teens and parents interested in joining TVIA San Diego Chapter 1 can find information at the organization's website. No upcoming event dates for the chapter's 2026-27 season have been announced.
