Reaching out with the Players Trust

Granderson named Man of the Year »

When they’re not on the field, Major League Baseball players put their energy into serving their communities outside the ballpark. Players use their celebrity status to raise awareness of community problems and needs. They also roll up their sleeves to get
involved -- like A's right fielder Nick Swisher, who has joined with the Entertainment Industry Foundation and its Women's Cancer Research Fund as an ambassador in a program called Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

The Players Trust is a charitable foundation that supports the volunteer activities of individual players and initiates broad-based programs like the Action Teams. Formed in 1996 by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) -- the players’ union -- the Players Trust is the first professional sports foundation established by athletes.

• Read more about the Players Trust »
• Players Trust video feature »

Players and Teens Teaming for Service

Felipe Lopez, J.C. Romero and Alex Cora share a moment with the local Action Team at the World Baseball Classic in Puerto Rico.

Major League Baseball players have teamed up with Volunteers of America to recruit and help train a new generation of volunteers. Major Leaguers and high school students across the country are dedicated to encouraging more students to get involved and volunteer.

These students become Action Team Captains, who spread the players' message about the importance of community service to teens in their area. To date, more than 9,000 students have made a difference in their communities through the Action Teams, helping more than 38,000 people where they live. Read more >

David Weathers, Nick Masset and Mike Lincoln take a photo with the Cincinnati Action Team.

Want To Get Involved? Take Action in Every Community

It's easy to get involved ...

And you don't have to be an Action Team member to experience the joys of volunteering. Below are some tips to volunteering by yourself or with a group.

• Contact a local charity that you're interested in and ask how you can help. Be sure to leave your phone number and e-mail address so they can contact you whenever the need for volunteers arises.
• Be a leader and organize a volunteer activity for your school, club or team. Talk with a teacher, guidance counselor or coach to enlist their support. Involving more people in your volunteer activities will allow you to help even more people in need.
• Work with the elderly. Read to them, help them with computers, listen to their stories and become e-mail pals.
• Collect children's books and deliver them to elementary schoolchildren. Stick around and read to them; you'll be their hero.

To learn more about how you and your friends can get involved, please check out The Wall Street Journal's Classroom Edition Web site and the Action Team page on the Volunteers of America Web site.