On Thursday, April 25, the Long Beach Post hosted an event to honor young people from around the city who are doing great things to better their community and beyond. Out of hundreds of nominations from our readers, judges chose 40 winners who run the gamut from educators to artists to business owners to community activists, all of whom represent just a selection of those who are today contributing to the betterment of Long Beach.

A few years ago, the Long Beach Volunteer MeetUp group—despite having some 300 members—was sadly dormant. Gina saw an opportunity to not only occupy her spare time but to energize the many Long Beach residents she knew had a knack and desire to give back. Giving the group a much needed dose of energy, her leadership has seen the group triple in size while providing weekly homeless feedings, seasonal events such as Thanksgiving dinners, flowers to elderly women on Mother’s Day and countless other acts of the heart that make Long Beach a warmer place to live.

For more about the Long Beach Volunteer MeetUp group, visit meetup.com/LBmeetandvolunteer