In April we welcomed Nicole Leal Hernandez (on the right in the photo) as our new Programs Assistant supporting our programs including our Court Referral Community Service, Operation Teddy Bear, and Empathy in Action programs. Nicole was a reference from a representative at one of our longtime corporate sponsors.

Previously Nicole worked as a Sales and Marketing Associate for Spectrum Cable. Nicole brings her talent in customer service, sales, office organization, and social media and marketing to this position. She will be graduating in June with her Associate's Degree in Human Services from LA Harbor College.

She jumped right in to help us with our Heart to a Heart event in her first weeks on the job and we all fell in love with her can-do attitude and perpetual cheerful smile! You will surely enjoy saying hello to her the next time you call our office.

In April and May, we had the opportunity to once again partner with Starbucks and the United Way. This time we assisted the Long Beach Starbucks Community Store on East Willow Street and Long Beach Blvd. with two community events focused on social and emotional wellness.

For several weeks, community members were invited to take a colorful post-it note and write words of kindness and ideas for ways to spread kindness to others and then place it on a big wall in the community store. Then they were invited to select a donated spring children's book provided by the Volunteer Center from our Operation Teddy Bear program. As you can see from the photos, the response was incredible, and brought cheer and smiles to those that read the notes!

The second event held on May 25th was held in partnership with the Student Support Services for the Long Beach Unified School District and invited community members to attend a Mental Health Resource Event with booths and representatives from six major nonprofit agencies in Long Beach. Community members were offered free Starbucks refreshments and could learn more about the available services to help both them and the members of their families. In some cases, customers in the drive-through saw the signage and stopped to visit the event. Many community members thanked us for our involvement and were grateful to know all the organizations and services available!

Calling high school students! We have openings for our summer Connect program, including entering freshmen. You need to live in or attend school in Carson or Gardena. This fun program will teach you skills to cope with stress, learn more about who you are, and connect with other students. The group will meet once a week in the evenings for five weeks during the summer in Carson with Macy Grim, an adventure therapist. Macy has expertise in addressing the issues that teens face.

The exact dates and location will be selected at a later time once we have a full cohort. To sign up for our interest list, click below. The value of the program is more than $400 per student but is being offered FREE thanks to a grant from the Torrance Memorial Medical Center. Students who complete the program will receive a certificate they can use for resumes and college applications.

To help recognize Mental Health Awareness month, we were grateful to host student members of the "Talk About It Club" at San Pedro High School for a field trip to participle in our Empathy in Action program.

The club's student leaders helped to research, plan and implement their visit to our Center so they could volunteer for our Food For Kids program. The teens really enjoyed their visit and we were impressed with their understanding of the concepts of empathy.

During the visit, the staff shared with the group the local statistics regarding food insecurity and how common it is to have students struggling to get enough food or have safe housing. The teacher advisor followed up by sharing some of the ways he supports students who experience homelessness in his classes each year. For some students, it was eye-opening to realize that students at their school might be in need of the bags they were packing.

The club completed their visit by filling out pledge forms with ideas of how they can continue spreading kindness and helping others. The students shared ideas such as sitting at lunch with someone alone, listening when someone is troubled and putting up kindness signs around campus.

The Youth Suicide Prevention Network has received a $5K micro-grant from the Beach Cities Health District and is now seeking the services of an Independent Consultant to produce a draft of a user-friendly, locally-focused online guide for SPA-8 community members and families. The guide will help families navigate the often complex process of accessing mental health care resources for youth and provide encouraging language, tips, and support for overcoming obstacles and challenges they will encounter.

To view the full Request for Services including desired qualifications click below. Submissions are due by Wednesday, June 29th at 1:00 p.m.

Our partners at South Bay Children's Health Center are looking for a total of 50 youth volunteers to assist with their Champions For Children event on June 25. The race will take place at South High School in Torrance. There is one available shift from 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. and volunteers will help with Expo set-up/break down, directing participants on the course, and assisting with water stations. Click the red button to sign up.

Also, physical activity is great for our mental health too. This event features a 5k run, a 5K walk, and a Kids Fun Run. Children ages 5 and below can participate with their parents and/or join the Kids Fun Run. This year's new course is flat and fast. If you are interested in this kindness opportunity which will get everyone outside and raise money for school and community-based mental health services and dental care- visit the race site for more information: https://www.sbchc.com/c4crun

As we rounded out these last few months of the school year, we were so grateful to those of you who helped fill our depleted shelves! We will be restocking our pantry during the summer and we especially need breakfast items including packets of oatmeal, boxes of cereal, granola bars and fruit. Donations can be dropped off any time between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For after-hour donations, please schedule a time with Jon Phelps: jon@volcenter.org. You can also order donations off of our Amazon Wishlist below, just please list your name in the delivery information so we can thank you!

Anonymous Donors- 842 meals

Banana Republic, Cerritos Mall - 598 meals

Brian Sieroty - 66 meals

Carson Lions Club - 451 meals

Denise Beggs - 57 meals

Dianne & Hans Bozler - 47 meals

Heather Goyan - 92 meals

Joe & Kathy Gray & Friends - 521 meals

Kiwanis Club - Rolling Hills Estates - 1,184 meals

Lisa Erickson Family - 236 meals

Naher Elramly - 140 meals

San Pedro High Talk About It! Club - 179 meals

Sandpipers – Jennifer Klimas & Jamie - 90 meals

South Bay Food Initiative - 600 meals

UC Irvine Bridge to Employment - 27 Birthday Bags

We are incredibly grateful to those donors who have gifted baby formula over the past few months. With the urgent shortage, we've felt so blessed to be able to help our partners at 1736 Family Crisis Center and Pediatric Therapy Network!

For more than 55 years, we have acted where care is needed most, galvanizing our community and enabling change. By demonstrating the power of empathy and resilience we give people the tools to cope with life’s challenges. By "Touching Hearts and Opening Minds" we create a more kind, connected, and equitable community in which we all can thrive..