As the California Welcome Center (CWC) in Oxnard gains momentum, the need for qualified volunteers for its Travel Ambassadors Volunteer Program is increasing.

Volunteers are especially needed during the spring and summer months and on the weekends, as the busy travel season is underway.

We are seeking outgoing individuals who are knowledgeable on the area, professional, friendly, (bilingual is a plus), and who are interested in lending their expertise to visitors, stated Rachel Harris, Manager of the California Welcome Center. The CWC Volunteer Program is an integral part of the Center as volunteers are the first to greet the visitor, offering directions and suggestions for places to visit in Ventura County and beyond, she continued. Volunteer Ambassadors are very important representatives not only for Ventura County, but for California communities as a whole since we represent the entire state, she added.

To prepare for the position, volunteers are asked to attend orientations, training seminars and area familiarization trips to gain a greater knowledge of local, regional and state tourism. The Center, located at 1000 Town Center Drive, is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To date, volunteer recruitment efforts have produced 16 official Volunteer Ambassadors hailing from distinguished educational and professional backgrounds including law enforcement, sales & marketing, radiology, military service and more. Since the CWC opened in 2007, the Center has assisted over 40,000 visitors with 33% originating from California, 15% from other domestic states, and 16% from international lands.

The California Welcome Center (CWC) is an official state certified visitors information agency specializing in a variety of tourism-based services. Visitors are able to obtain travel planning advice, lodging reservations, attraction ticket sales, guide maps, Internet access and even California and Ventura County souvenir merchandise.

The CWC Oxnard is operated by the Oxnard Convention & Visitors Bureau in partnership with California State Tourism.

For more information on the CWC Travel Ambassador Volunteer Program, call CWC Manager, Rachel Harris at 805-988-0717.