Doing Good in the LBC is a weekly newsletter about the nonprofits, causes and people who do good in our city.
If you have tomorrow off work, there’s no excuse.
I expect to see you all at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, an annual tradition for 17 years now organized by Leadership Long Beach.
Volunteers will disperse throughout the city to work on 15 projects, including composting at Willow Springs Park, creating an education garden at a local preschool and refreshing planters at the First Street transit station.
Click here for more information on the projects, or just show up to the orientation and breakfast in the morning, 8 to 9:30 a.m. Monday at Long Beach City College’s central Long Beach campus, 1305 Pacific Coast Highway.
Organizers encourage volunteers to bring a non-perishable food item for the school’s pantry. There’s tremendous value in doing only that; read this story we published this month about the struggles of many students who are unhoused and don’t have a reliable source of food.
Leadership Long Beach is among the organizations doing something about it. Its primary program brings diverse people together for nine months to learn how the city works, with the aim of inspiring participants to serve at all levels. Learn more here.
Be a hero on V-Day
Valentine’s Day is a mere weeks away, and I have a great idea for you: Take your sweetie (or a gaggle of friends) to the Long Beach Symphony’s special Pops concert, “Endless Love.”
The show is at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 14, at the Long Beach Arena, and features Conductor Herb Smith and Grammy-caliber vocalists Chester Gregory and Shayna Steele singing the best of Sinatra, The Spinners, Tina Turner and more.
Tickets start at $39, a steal. Get them here, or call 562-436-3203 ext. 1.
A walk in the park
The ubiquitous Blair Cohn let me know that the Bixby Knolls Strollers have been walking the streets of Uptown since 2008.
The walking club, sponsored by the Bixby Knolls Business Association, hasn’t missed a Saturday in 18 years — through rain, wind and even a pandemic. The club brings together people of all races, religions and ages — from pre-teen to mid-90s — for the simple act of outdoor exercise and connection with fellow humans.
Learn more, and check out the walking routes, here.
No good deed …
If you live in East Long Beach and recently found a key lime pie on your porch, it was me.
It was intended for the city’s former prolific columnist, Tim Grobaty, who turned 71 this month. He’s retired, but I was set on baking him a sour treat for the big day — a tradition for the decade or so we worked together.
I couldn’t remember his house number, and he wasn’t answering my texts. After prowling around Ladoga Avenue for a while (even creeping up to a few front doors), I gave up.
The truth is, I miss him. I miss his columns. He captured the city for 45 or so years in a way that was special.
One of you recently asked if he could write a bit every now and then. I’m trying my best, but I could use a little help: Drop him a line at [email protected].
