SPOTLIGHT: Ohaha Luau
On Saturday July 24, the Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) team welcomed its volunteers to the AdventurePlex site to celebrate everyone’s unprecedented level of support during the pandemic.
The event’s title ‘Ohana Luau’ said it all.
Ohana is the Hawaiian term meaning family and historically, a Luau is a Polynesian and ancient Hawaiian social gathering meant to unite people of a town in celebration of a significant life event or achievement!
During COVID-19, volunteers of all talents and ability levels stepped in to help keep the Beach Cities safer and healthier.
On March 15, 2020, BCHD activated its emergency operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and on April 3, 2020, with the collaboration of other county departments and partnership, opened a COVID-19 testing site (originally at the Galleria and later at BCHD’s site on Prospect Avenue).
Volunteer Jim Hannon, who admits to having a tendency to raise his hand to offer help, contributed to the high need for COVID-19 testing at the BCHD drive-through site. After thorough training on administering the tests while minimizing his own exposure to the virus, Jim was one of 49 BCHD staff and 71 volunteers who carried out 155,684 COVID-19 tests. As Jim explained, “as my working life came to an end, I saw volunteering as the second chapter in my life. A very valuable chapter for the beach cities community!”
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Featured Volunteer Opportunities
Do You Knit or Crochet? Make a Blanket for a Veteran
As part of a long-running legacy program at Beach Cities Health District, volunteers make blankets for individuals who could use some warmth and care. You are invited to make a blanket of approximately 36”x48” in honor of National Day of Service and Remembrance as Americans across the nation are united in service to their communities to honor the victims and heroes while marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11. We imagined this blanket drive for 9/11 but have pushed the deadline to Veteran’s Day in November. Please fill out our signup form here to sign up to make a blanket.
Errand Volunteer: Support Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities
Errand Volunteers are matched with one of our Community Services Care Management clients and do weekly shopping for basic needs like groceries and prescriptions. Could this be right for you? Take a look at a brief overview of the role here. Weekly commitment of 1-1.5 hours on a regular basis.
Center for Health & Fitness Front Desk Volunteer
CHF is looking for volunteer support with screening members at its check-in table downstairs, ensuring members have read and signed the new COVID-19 Code of Conduct, reviewing verbal screening questions with members, taking and recording temperatures on a log sheet, assisting with cleaning equipment between reservations, and greeting members and directing them for proper gym entry and exit. Weekly commitment of 3 hours a week on a regular basis.
Center for Health & Fitness Additional Help
Center for Health & Fitness is looking for additional support in September with their outdoor exercise classes by assisting instructors with setting up equipment, checking in and screening class participants, and assist with clean up. Click here for more details and to sign up for a shift
Administrative Office Front Desk Volunteer
Our admin department is looking for volunteer help including telephone coverage; front desk screening of staff and visitors; periodic disinfection of shared spaces; mail and package distribution; badge making; supplies inventory; assembling marketing packets; assisting with Help Desk Ticket tasks and projects. If you would like more information, please reach out to Alejandra.Sierra@bchd.org. Weekly 4-hour shift commitment on a regular basis is required.
Event Opportunity - BeachLife Music Festival- September 10-12
Come support BCHD by staffing our booth and engage participants with kindness activities, prizes, and information about our programs and services in the three-day local music festival with multiple stages, bands and vendors. Sign up for a shift here.
If any of these roles sound like a fit for you, please fill out our Volunteer Application at www.bchd.org/volunteer if you have not already done so, or email us at volunteers@bchd.org if you are or have been a BCHD volunteer in the past.
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LiveWell Kids Garden Prep Day
On August 4, 2021, nearly 70 volunteers came together and donated 192 hours of service by prepping our eight elementary school gardens in Redondo Beach. This event supported BCHD’s LiveWell Kids Garden Program by ensuring the gardens were ready for the kids to resume their nutrition lessons this coming fall. Volunteers assembled composters, cleared garden beds, cultivated soil, planted seeds, and built new garden beds- among other tasks.
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2021 Volunteer Hours
While volunteer support has changed due to COVID-19, we are so grateful for the commitment of our community. Below shows volunteer hours in 2021. Since our COVID-19 testing site closed and vaccine distribution scaled back, we experienced lower volunteer engagement in July as a result. The numbers for July represent groceries shopped for, prescriptions picked up, calls made, Center for Health & Fitness front desk volunteers, Free Fitness event volunteers,
committees met, administrative support, intern projects, gardens kept, and more.
January: 1,314
February: 1,551
March: 3,402
April: 3,173
May: 2,566
June: 1,391
July: 899
Total: 13,397
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Volunteer Anniversaries
Although many of you still are not back to 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 volunteers is truly incredible. Special shoutout to Linda Donato for hitting her 20-year mark with the District. Also – Julia Bassine and Amy Josefek for hitting the 5-year mark! We are so glad for everyone’s support and dedication.
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August
Linda Donato, 20
George Schmeltzer, 19
Mary Drummer, 16
Linnea Bucher, 8
Barbara Carlson, 6
Amy Quan, 6
Julia Bassine, 5
Amy Josefek, 5
Marie Puterbaugh, 4
Brad Angle, 2
Teresa Haddad, 2
Dolores Keelin, 2
*Official years of service in BCHD system.
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Just for Fun Puzzle Time!
Enjoy some down time solving this super fun Word Search by finding all of the words hidden in the puzzle. The words may be placed diagonally, horizontally, vertically, or backwards.
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AUGUST BOOKS BUBBLES
GARDENING ICE CREAM LAUGHTER
MINDFULNESS PLAYGROUND SCHOOL
WOMENS EQUALITY
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Virtual Mindfulness Drop-In
Take 30 minutes to downshift and practice mindfulness techniques. The guided session will be led by a trained Beach Cities Health District instructor, Carrie Kerster.
Wednesday, September 1
4 – 4:30 p.m.
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Virtual Happiness Chats
Support your well-being with casual discussions focused on connection and resilience. Attend one or all chats!
Tuesdays
12:30 - 1:15 p.m.
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Virtual Mental Health & Happiness Series
Learn how to boost your well-being through evidence-based practices to build resilience, feel more connected and be happier. The series focuses on the building blocks to help create a healthier and happier you. Presented by Beach Cities Health District in partnership with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Topics include:
Boost Empathy: Support connection and shift perspective
Tuesday, September 28 from 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Reaffirm Purpose: Navigate transitions and focus on meaning
Tuesday, October 19 from 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Maximize Gratitude: Express appreciation and savor kindness
Tuesday, November 9 from 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
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