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 Letter from the President/CEO
...At the Heart of Giving Thanks and Giving Back
Lately I've been singing the lyrics from Josh Groban's song "Thankful" over and over in my head.
"And even though this world needs so much more- There's so much to be thankful for."
Everywhere we look at the Volunteer Center, there's just so many examples of your generosity, love and support!
- A few weeks ago, our Food For Kids pantry shelves were bare and now, thanks to an outpouring of support you donated more than 12,000 pounds of food the week before Thanksgiving!
- Despite COVID, our volunteers continue to show up every week, masked and gloved up with eyes brightly shining- ready to make the Volunteer Center magic happen!
It's true- Thanksgiving looked very different and there is much that we all hope for and need during this difficult time- but there is also so much to be thankful for.
Thank you for being "at the heart of helping,"
Sara Myers
President/CEO
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Your Giving Tuesday Donations Doubled!
...At the Heart of an Inspiring Challenge
December 1 is GivingTuesday, a time when everyone is encouraged to pause from the rush and spending of the holiday season, and complete the kind act of donating a gift to a charitable organization.
We recently sent out an email explaining our year-end hug challenge and we are thrilled to announce that we have 16 monthly donors!
While we still need many more to reach our goal, if you prefer to make a one time GivingTuesday gift of any amount, we are able to count that towards the $50,000 challenge grant from Dianne and Hans Bozler.
As a reminder, your generous GivingTuesday "hugs," wrapped up around the programs and families we serve, will help us continue supporting the social and emotional needs of our community and ensure we can remain at the heart of helping, especially during this pandemic.
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Save the Date - March 20
...At the Heart of Virtual Family Fun!
This year, in place of our Heart to Heart Gala, we will be hosting a COVID-safe, family-friendly virtual scavenger hunt to raise funds for our Volunteer Center programs.
We are currently accepting sponsorships from businesses interested in a unique way to engage employees, customers and clients in safe team building challenge. Sponsors can build specially branded "missions" for hundreds of community members to complete while they learn more about your company, values and products.
Find out more at www.volcenter.org/hunt
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| | Heart To Heart Scavenger Hunt |
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So Much to be Thankful For!
...At the Heart of Feeding Families This Holiday Season!
Even before the recent Thanksgiving week rush that we are still processing, we had a long list of generous earlier donations to be thankful for:
- Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce 'Women in Business' joined with Pediatric Therapy Network to help us host a Halloween themed drive-thru which collected 50 pounds of food and gave weekend meals to more than 30 families
- Girl Scout Troop 1095 collected 215 pounds of food in their efforts to serve their community
- Ryan & Mason Kramer of Lion's Heart donated another 207 pounds of food
- Carol Risher & Amanda Chase of Temple Shalom of the South Bay donated 163 pounds of food
- South Bay Food Initiative kept local high school students focused on giving back by donating another 456 pounds of food this month
- Cub Scout Pack 718 got together and helped to donate 491 pounds of food
- Kendall Baab recently moved to Torrance and was looking for an organization to support and when she found us online she quickly showed up with 51 pounds of food
- Mia Yamada of H.O.P.E dropped by with 60 pounds of food
- Carson Lions Club continued to show that where there is a need, there is a Lion when they showed up to donate another 38 pounds of food this month
- Margi Lunt & Leslie Back of Hadassah Socal L'Dor V'Dor Chapter and Congregation Ner Tamid's Sisterhood and Tikkun Olam Committee donated 27 pounds of food
- Our friends from the Easter Seals who used to come every week to help us in our pantry pre-COVID (and we dearly miss!) stopped by to say hello and donated 29 pounds of food
- Sandpipers members continued to band together and meet their commitment of serving during this time of need, by donating another 378 pounds this month
- Pantry volunteers Sue Golden and her sister Judy kept up their weekly volunteering, and also help collect over 50 pounds of food with friend JoAnn Frisch
- The Molina Foundation provided over 200 Halloween and Thanksgiving books that we distributed during October and November
- National Charity League, Inc. SOUTH BAY CHAPTER continues to support us each week, and collected an astounding 1,360 pounds of food this month
- Our friends at Sunrider International dropped off 144 cans of their Smart Gummy treats to pass out at our Halloween Drive-Thru event
- Sharon Ryan of An Uncommon Journey inspired her family, friends and clients to give to a food drive which collected 447 pounds of food!
Our pantry is currently overflowing, so we ask you to please consider a Financial Gift for Giving Tuesday to help us manage the program and/or donate to our Operation Teddy Bear Toothbrush Drive instead.
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FEATURED KINDNESS OPPORTUNITY
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Submerse yourself in beauty this holiday season while also giving back!
South Coast Botanic Garden is looking for volunteers for GLOW, an after-dark walk through the Garden with thousands of lights transforming it into a Garden Lights & Ocean Waters theme.
Volunteers will be loaded with swag and glow-in-the-dark supplies to help guide guests through the Garden and ensure a good time is had by all.
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THANK YOU
CORPORATE & FOUNDATION GRANTORS:
(Gifts Made in Support of July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021 Programs)
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The Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach
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Recognizing the value of empathy and service to others, the Volunteer Center has been "at the heart of helping" for more than 55 years. Our mission is to increase social and emotional wellness in youth and families in our community and we measure this impact through a rise in empathy and resilience for those we serve. To learn more about our programs and history, visit www.volcenter.org.
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