At Venice Family Clinic, care begins with connection. Whether in the exam room, out in the community or behind the scenes, our work is powered by people who believe in our goal of providing compassionate, comprehensive care for our community.

Since we first opened our doors over fifty years ago, the Clinic has always attracted people who are driven to give back. Today, we welcome people from all walks of life through our partnership with AmeriCorps and other service programs.

For some, their time with the Clinic is a steppingstone to other service. For others, the experience becomes a calling.

I see myself and my family in our patients 

Kelly Ayllon grew up in Bakersfield, where access to specialized resources was limited. Her mother played a key role in seeking out the support she needed, eventually connecting with someone in another city who had the right expertise to help her thrive. This experience taught her about the importance of advocacy and access when navigating systems with limited local options.

Years later she brought that experience with her when she joined the Clinic’s Resource Case Management team as an AmeriCorps. The job required patience, creativity and above all else, empathy. Kelly realized this was her opportunity to be the advocate she and her family had needed.

“I think about what a difference it would have made if my parents had access to a team like ours every day,” says. “If they had guidance; if they had someone advocating for them; if they didn’t have to figure everything out on their own, things would have been much better for all of us.”

Knowing that she was making a difference meant the world to Kelly. As her AmeriCorps term ended, she knew she wanted to stay. “I fell in love with helping people,” she remembers.

Kelly transitioned into the Clinic’s health education department. She now leads one-on-one counseling sessions, group classes and walking groups to provide patients with a safe, welcoming space to encourage sustainable changes to their health.

Kelly sees every session as a chance to offer others compassionate, personalized support that makes them feel seen, heard and strong. “That’s why I do this work. I feel so lucky to get to help others.”

From grassroots to the Capital 

When Karen Lauterbach joined the Clinic in 1997 as an AmeriCorps VISTA member, she didn’t know she was stepping into what would become a decades-long career.

She was placed with a team working to improve access to coverage for low-income families—helping build an infrastructure for the Clinic to do Medi-Cal outreach and enrollment. “We had one computer for a whole team,” she laughs. “But it didn’t matter. We were so driven because we knew this kind of access to health coverage would be life changing.”

The work was complex and challenging, and Karen loved it immediately. “We were creating something new and urgently needed,” she remembers. “And we were doing it together—every department, every staff member.”

After her service year ended, Karen stayed with the Clinic, building a career that’s spanned health insurance enrollment, program development, homeless services and now, policy advocacy.

What ties it all together? Her drive to solve problems, wherever they arise.  “I want to be where the need is,” she says. “I want to help people as best we can.”

When confronted with threats to the Affordable Care Act in 2016, Karen knew it was time to fight for what she’d built. “When the ACA was on the chopping block, we knew we had to act.” Through legislative meetings, coalition partnerships and community organizing, Karen and her colleagues helped prevent the dismantling o programs our patients rely on.

“Advocacy is patient care,” she says. “It’s how we make sure our community is seen and their needs are considered. It’s how we protect the systems that provide for our patients.”

Building a culture of care 

For Anthony Holliday, volunteering wasn’t an extracurricular—it was a way of life.

“My mom was always volunteering, always giving,” he says. “She taught me that if you’re lucky enough to have something, you share it with others.”

That value shaped every step of his journey—from his time in the Peace Corps service in Madagascar to his AmeriCorps placement at the Clinic. What started as a role in Volunteer Services quickly evolved into a passion for building community.

“Service is in the DNA of this place,” he says. “The Clinic was founded by volunteers and that spirit has never left.”

Now, as volunteer services coordinator, Anthony oversees one of the largest healthcare volunteer programs in Los Angeles, coordinating more than 1,200 volunteers annually—from clinical providers to interpreters and student assistants. He’s particularly proud of the effort to bring in volunteers who reflect the Clinic’s patient population.

“When a patient walks in and meets someone who speaks their language or shares their background, it changes everything,” he says. “That connection builds trust. And trust leads to better health outcomes.”

For Anthony, that sense of connection is what makes the Clinic feel like home. “Some of our volunteers come to learn. Some come to give back. But they all stay because this work matters—because the Clinic does more than just care for patients’ physical health. It gives them a community, a place they can turn to when they’re in need.”

More than a job—a mission 

Over fifty years ago, Venice Family Clinic was founded by volunteers who wanted to give back and today, that spirit still drives us. Without the volunteers, AmeriCorps members and staff who work with compassion to tackle challenges big and small, we wouldn’t be the community we are today.

Thank you to all of our past, current and future volunteers. Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities.