Doing Good in the LBC is an occasional newsletter where we highlight the people and nonprofit organizations who Do Good.
It’s been too long, and I’ll admit — I’m behind.
There’s a lot to catch up on, including back to school, and our favorite time of year, Long Beach Gives.
First, though, a special callout to a lady who deserves one: Kelly Ruggirello, president of the Long Beach Symphony, who had a great summer: the Symphony was named 2025 California Nonprofit of the Year for our Senate district, and just this month, Kelly herself received the Association of California Symphony Orchestras’ Executive Leadership Award.
I know that Kelly is as genuine in private as she is in public, and is generous with time and talent. She’s been an incredible resource and mentor.
Kelly also happens to be this year’s president of the Rotary Club of Long Beach, the city’s largest service club with more than 300 members, adding new energy (singing!) and continuing the club’s existing service work.
One of the club’s biggest service projects is gearing up to help kids as they head back to school. The Reading by 9 program has been going strong for nearly three decades, putting books in the hands of children and encouraging a love of learning.
Since it began, the club has raised $1.275 million to support the program, which provides books to kids and teachers across LBUSD. Each fall, Rotary members raise funds at a single meeting in late September — last year alone they brought in $127,000.
For information on how to support the program, or for more about Rotary, click here.
Back to school
Plenty of other groups are Doing Good to help kids get ready for school, including collecting backpacks and school supplies. Get involved with one of these efforts:
- Assistance League of Long Beach: Operation School Bell delivers approximately 8,000 to 12,000 backpacks packed with new school uniforms, undergarments, and supplies to LBUSD students each year.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach: Back2School supply drive, which encourages workplaces and groups to collect supplies for youth in need.
- Love Beyond Limits supplies school items—pens, binders, calculators, and more—to middle and high school students in Long Beach and surrounding areas.
Long Beach Gives
Mark your calendars for Sept. 18, when Long Beach’s day of giving returns with over 260 nonprofits participating once again. More than $2 million was raised last year alone, and the total raised over the past five years now exceeds $10 million.
More details to come on the people and causes who benefited from last year’s drive, including the Cal State Long Beach students in our youth fellowship program, supported by nearly $10,000 in donations last year.
If you’re a nonprofit and have a story to share, I’d love to hear from you — email me at [email protected].