Doing Good in the LBC is a weekly newsletter where we’ll share how to get involved and give back, and the latest goings-on of nonprofit organizations in Long Beach. Subscribe to all of our newsletters here.
It always makes me sad to see Christmas trees dumped on the sidewalk come January.
Yesterday it was the centerpiece of your living room — today it’s belly-down on the curb with a lone strand of tinsel.
Spare your tree the indignity of a landfill by dropping it off as part of the city’s “treecycle” service, which last year turned 155 tons of trees into landscaping mulch.
There’s no cost, but you have to drop off your tree, sans decor, before Jan. 9. Find a list of 13 drop-off locations here.
Move!
Once you ditch the tree, deflate the blow-up Santa and wedge a massive ball of lights in an out-of-sight corner of the garage — next year’s problem — consider getting active.
There’s tons of run signups throughout the region, and a Downtown-based run club I’ve heard good things about: Downtown Runners LB. The club meets Wednesdays at different pubs and restaurants, runs a bit, then imbibes a bit. Read more about them at the Downtown Long Beach Alliance.
I hear pickleball is fun; find a list of courts in Long Beach here. And if you’re a swimmer, don’t do it in the bay after it rains. Try one of these (heated) public pools instead.
Maybe hiking is your thing? Five years ago I wrote a list of the best hiking spots in or near Long Beach, and I stand by it. If I had to pick one I’d go with the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve — it’s relatively flat, and very peaceful.
And if you plan to party like a beast on New Year’s Eve — and who isn’t? — here’s a list of New Year’s events happening locally.
Get busy
Here’s a perfect chance to dip your toe gently into public service: Leadership Long Beach’s Day of Service on MLK Day, this year Jan. 19. For several years now the nonprofit has amassed hundreds of volunteers on a single day to complete service projects across the city.
There’s typically projects that require a variety of skills, from writing letters to outdoor labor. Learn more here.
Think of us
One parting plea, if you’ll indulge me:
Everything above — the quiet fixes, the local rituals, the small ways a city takes care of itself — depends on people paying attention.
That’s what we try to do every day at the Long Beach Post: notice things, ask questions, connect dots and share stories that help this place make a little more sense.
It’s not free to do, and it’s not easy, but it does matter.
If you read us and find value here, consider making a donation to support the work. Even a modest, recurring gift helps us continue the human reporting that makes a city feel like a community.
Thank you so much for your readership and support this year. Here’s to a happy 2026!