Volunteer with MainStreet Oceanside

Meet Mary Jo Canaletti, our new Volunteer Coordinator at MainStreet Oceanside.

As an Oceanside native, I have a true love and passion for our beautiful Oceanside! Downtown has really blossomed into such a beautiful, fun and entertaining gathering place for Oceanside families, locals and tourists alike. I’ve seen our little town grow and thrive, yet it has still been able to keep its small town charm. I’ve experienced some of the history of what Oceanside was and I’m experiencing what it is becoming and it’s impressive! As the Volunteer Coordinator for MainStreet Oceanside, I am continually learning all of what Oceanside now provides and what the future holds for our amazing town.

MainStreet Oceanside has many opportunities for locals to volunteer their time to help make Downtown Oceanside — along with all of our fabulous restaurants, storefronts and our community — shine.

Our Downtown Ambassador Program Volunteers recently completed two Ambassador Outings where they were introduced to local business owners, managers and chefs and they were able to taste, learn and get to know more about them firsthand. We are lucky to have a wide range of diverse volunteers for this program — some longtimers, some fairly new to Oceanside, and people of all ages. This is what makes this program exceptional. Our volunteers run our Downtown Ambassador Information Booth and provide visitors with recommendations, directions and general information for our Downtown businesses. The Ambassador Program runs Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. through Sept. 3.

Other MainStreet volunteer opportunities include Taste of Oceanside, 'Tis the Season to Shop Local, Earth Day Festival and the Sunset and Farmers’ Markets, as well as the Promotions, Design, Economic Development and Sunset Market Committees.

MainStreet Oceanside Volunteer Coordinator Mary Jo Canaletti brings years of experience with nonprofits and community theaters. Canaletti joined MainStreet from New Village Arts, where she was most recently Patron Services Manager of the Carlsbad theater. Canaletti oversees volunteers for all of our programs and events. She also assists Chief Operating Officer Gumaro Escarcega with placing members on our three volunteer-driven committees of local business people and residents, plus our Sunset Market and Oceanside Independence Parade Committees. To complete our volunteer application, visit mainstreetoceanside.com/volunteer. Email volunteer questions to Mary Jo at maryjo@mainstreetoceanside.com.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

MainStreet Oceanside offers various volunteer opportunities for local residents to become involved in the revitalization of Downtown Oceanside. Contact Mary Jo Canaletti at 760-754-4512 or maryjo@mainstreetoceanside.com for more information.

Sunset Market Information Booth: Assist Sunset Market attendees and vendors with questions about the market and the Downtown area. Distribute information about local businesses and special events. Two-hour shifts available on Thursday evenings.

Sunset Market Special Events: Assist Sunset Market staff and crew during special market nights: Authors Night (January), Haunted Market (October) and Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony & Gift Market (December).

Sunset Market Committee: Our Sunset Market Committee meets weekly on Tuesday mornings to review new vendor applications and discuss market practices.

Downtown Ambassador Program: Assist Downtown visitors by answering questions about Oceanside. Provide directions as necessary. Distribute visitor guides and other visitor information. Two-hour shifts available throughout the week during the summer.

Oceanside Independence Parade: Held on the Saturday before the Fourth of July, the Oceanside Independence Parade requires approximately 100 volunteers. During the week prior to the parade, volunteer opportunities include pre-parade mark-out and preparation of equipment and decorations. On the day of the parade, volunteer opportunities include street marshall, barricade marshall, check-in assistant and announcer.

Oceanside Independence Parade Committee: Our Oceanside Independence Parade Committee meets once a month to plan for the annual parade. We discuss lineup, decorations and volunteer outreach for the day of the parade.

Promotions Committee: Our Promotions Committee meets monthly on the third Wednesday to discuss promoting the Downtown and Main Street events like Mother's Day is Sweet (May), Taste of Oceanside (October) and 'Tis the Season to Shop Local (November-December).

Design Committee: Our Design Committee meets monthly on the second Wednesday and oversees the design of our Downtown including the Art that Excites program, which is currently working on the completion of the fourth Art that Excites mural.

Economic Development Committee: Our Economic Development Committee meets monthly on the fourth Wednesday to discuss ways to drive our local economy while supporting new and existing businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators.

Additional Volunteer Opportunities:

Earth Day Festival (April)

Mother's Day IS Sweet (May)

O'Fest (July)

Taste of Oceanside (October)

'Tis the Season to Shop Local (November-December)

Find our more and apply at mainstreetoceanside.com/volunteer.