Volunteer Spotlight:
Penny Berry, 30 years of volunteering and counting
This month we pay our respects to one incredible Beach Cities Health District Volunteer, Penny Berry, who has given up her time to help others for the past 30 years!
With the average age range of a volunteer being between 35 and 54, Penny stands out from the crowd by starting her volunteering at the age of 50; this year Penny turned 80 and celebrated her 30th year as a volunteer.
Having been raised in Long Beach, Penny later moved to Denver, Colorado where she graduated from Colorado State College. For several years she taught at various schools and colleges including serving as a Junior High and High School Principal. In 1964 she moved back to Redondo Beach, where she continued her teaching career at Palos Verdes High School.
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Checking In
We haven’t done a volunteer dedicated newsletter in awhile! But we’ve all been hard at work helping to support the community as all our lives have changed due to COVID-19. For volunteers, we don’t have much new news about when we will be reopening things and getting you back to your roles (safely) but this newsletter has some great information about what is happening and things you can do. Please keep reading the weekly BCHD newsletters, as they have the most up to date guidance on how to stay safe, recovery news, all the great BCHD virtual events and resources. We will keep you posted on new developments for volunteers, welcome your questions and feedback and hope to see you at a Volunteer Social soon! Stay Safe!
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Volunteer Recognition Brunch 2020
Each year, Volunteer Services convenes a committee of staff from across the District to help plan the Volunteer Recognition Brunch. It is such a special time for everyone at the District and know that it is a beloved event for many volunteers. We get to see you dressed up, share a meal, and give awards and prizes to you. We get to laugh, smile and enjoy each other’s company. This year, it was hard to have April come and go with no brunch because of COVID-19. We rescheduled and crossed our fingers and alas, to follow LA County’s health orders we’ve canceled our hopeful rescheduled date. Although we are hopeful that these challenging times are soon over, because conditions are ever shifting it is with an abundance of caution for all of you, we decided it was best to cancel the brunch altogether for 2020 and are looking forward to April 2021 already.
Because we aren’t having the brunch, we are also considering how we might best honor the fabulous Core Value Award winners for 2020. Even our video filming project to honor all of them with was cut short. We have taken ideas into consideration from our Volunteer Advisory Council as well but are open to your suggestions as always. If you know one of these fabulous volunteers -
George Schmeltzer, Karen Blanchard, Shirley Hutchins, Lydia Johnson, Francoise Schmutz & Victoria Ivons
-
please congratulate them today!
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It has been heartwarming to see that many community members have reached out about what they might be able to do to assist with the community’s needs during COVID-19. Although many BCHD volunteer programs are on hold because of COVID-19, support has continued to increase for isolated older adults and adults with disabilities who are connected to BCHD volunteers as Brain Buddies, Conversation Companions, Errand Volunteers and MoveWell Volunteers. Since mid-March when in-home visits were put on hold, the only time that volunteers are seeing their clients is if they are dropping off groceries to them and maintaining a 6 foot distance while saying hello. However, many volunteers have shifted to continue to check in on their clients and stay connected and make sure they’re doing ok. Although there are limitations, such as with clients who have dementia or are hearing impaired, we have seen an overall increase in number of volunteer-client interactions in these programs, since pre-COVID-19 as shown below. In May, Volunteer Services re-launched the volunteer Support Line virtually as well, which has contributed to a rise in outreach for the month in May. We’re so grateful to the volunteers who are able to keep connected to the clients they serve!
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We would like to also thank Karen Yost-Heck, Mask Crusaders and other individuals for contributing cloth face coverings and supplies which we are giving to vulnerable community members to keep them safe.
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Harbor College Nursing Students Assist
at Redondo Beach COVID-19 Testing Site
Throughout the month of June, students in the nursing program at Harbor College are supporting the Redondo Beach COVID-19 Testing Site operated by Beach Cities Health District. Fifteen students have replaced nurses from the Providence health care system as the test administrators and are able to get credit toward the clinical hours needed to graduate.
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Volunteer Hours
In 2019, volunteers reported more than 36,000 hours which made a big impact on the individual and collective level. We know that 2020 will not reach that level because of the COVID-19 situation. However, considering the reality of this time, we feel the hours you’ve given to our programs, these numbers are remarkable and don’t even fully capture the support people have given to the community.
January: 2,863
February: 2,491
March: 942
April: 344
May: 265
2020 Total: 6,905
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Volunteer Anniversaries
We are behind in congratulating all of these wonderful volunteers on their anniversaries! Although many of you aren’t actively volunteering in your usual roles right now, we are endlessly grateful for your commitment. The many collective years of efforts toward a healthy beach community from our volunteer corps is truly incredible.
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April Anniversaries
Florence Metcalfe, 30
Shirley Hutchins, 25
Marcie Dean, 21
Debbie Hannon, 20
Candice Gill, 11
Sean Guthrie, 8
Jim Hannon, 8
Marlis Saunders, 7
Faye Gipson, 6
Eden Serina, 5
Lisa Christman, 4
Jay Foster, 4
Michael Harris, 4
Lisa Sheinberg, 4
Harry Yamada, 3
Karen Blanchard, 2
Sandra Chulik, 2
Rosane Lopez, 1
Katie Lowe, 1
Franny Stafford, 1
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May Anniversaries
George Nagata, 8
Toshi Takehara, 6
Susan Macwilliams, 5
Renee Daigneault, 4
John Earle, 4
Vicki Shaffer, 4
Teresa Noone, 3
Mary Dover, 1
Aiyana Romero, 1
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June Anniversaries
Melinda Turkolu, 18
Dianne Scott, 16
Lucy Bayliss, 13
Douglas Koth, 13
Melba Tovar, 12
Stuart Joseph, 9
Joy Jurena, 8
Arnette Travis, 6
Mardie Heller, 5
Cathy Mendoza, 5
Isabel Ayson, 4
KC Christense, 4
Laurie Engelhardt, 4
Steve Gerhardt, 4
Francoise Schmutz, 4
Elizabeth Ebel, 3
Victoria Ivons, 3
Sheri Benator, 2
Lydia Johnson, 2
Edwina Klein, 2
Michele Alfano, 1
MaryAnn Bailey, 1
Morgan Bulen, 1
Amy Humphrey, 1
Gregory Mattson, 1
Valerie Morales, 1
Jeffrey Rowe, 1
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Connecting Volunteers
While BCHD general operations have shifted to community response to COVID-19, we aren’t doing in-person events or on-boarding new volunteers for our regular roles. However, we do still want to connect our volunteers!
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Join Our Virtual Social Hours
Thank you to all who were able to join our virtual Volunteer Social Hours in May! We had so much fun sharing and connecting, and it felt nice to see you! We welcome you to join our next virtual Social Hour on
Wednesday, June 17 at 1 pm
. Please reserve your spot, as space is limited, by clicking on this
link
. Log-in info will be emailed to those who RSVP the morning of event.
Join the Moai Movement
Looking to connect with others in the community who share similar interests? A Moai (pronounced “Mo Eye”) is a group of people meeting for a common purpose and can include activities like walking, purpose discussions, and potluck meals. The word “Moai” comes from Okinawa, Japan, where neighbors use Moais as support systems. Based on this tradition, Moai groups are considered just as important to a person’s health as the benefits of being active, healthy eating, and finding a purpose. Connect with one of our Virtual Moai Groups
here
.
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Volunteers with Medical Experience Needed
Remote opportunity for BCHD volunteers with medical backgrounds (nurses, doctors, contact tracing, etc). Volunteers will help call people who tested positive for COVID-19. Availability needed: Shift times vary based on length of calls but the ideal volunteer would be available for 2-3 hours 3 times per week, any day of the week. Computer and headset needed to make calls.
Please fill out this form
if you are interested!
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Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Although the state and county are reopening certain businesses, it's still important to note that the risk for COVID-19 remains high.
People who have underlying health conditions will still be at much greater risk for serious illness from COVID-19, so it will continue to be very important for vulnerable residents to stay at home as much as possible.
If you're healthy and looking to help your neighbors with errands like grocery shopping, follow these best practices for the safety of yourself and our community. Remember to wear your cloth face covering whenever you are out obtaining essential services and keep your cloth face covering on when you drop off groceries to your neighbor. Please see this video for additional guidance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UYQmRx08XU
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Wellness Check-Ins
Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) is organizing a virtual “call tree” to check in on the well-being of our friends, family and neighbors. We’ll be reaching out to our volunteers, clients and community partners to check in and we encourage the community to do the same!
Goals of Wellness Check-In
- Build social connections while we’re physically distancing
- Encourage conversations about mental health and well-being
- Provide information and support
The below script is intended to encourage the community to reach out to one another and the questions are for reference only. Feel free to personalize your call as you check in on your friends, family and neighbors.
Here's some pointers on what to say during your Wellness Check-In:
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Donate to the Beach Cities COVID-19 Fund
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Donations will provide assistance to Beach Cities residents who are income qualified with essentials like groceries and household and cleaning supplies.
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