Volunteer Update Meeting

On Wednesday November 11, Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) volunteers gathered around their computers to join a virtual volunteer update hosted by Volunteer Services and CEO Tom Bakaly, who thanked everyone for their continued support during the pandemic. Tom provided an update on the state of COVID-19 in the Beach Cities and went through all the services BCHD is offering in response, many with the assistance of volunteers. 

As Tom explained, “BCHD’s top objective was, and continues to be, understanding the spread of disease in our area. While the staff and volunteers continue working on other programs, the priority at the current time is developing an in-depth picture of the virus in our geographic area.”

Tom reminded us all that, “the spread of the virus depends on our behaviors, including wearing face coverings and keeping our distance from others. It’s rare to have control over health disasters such as earthquakes, but we have control over this.”

Aside from helping out with the testing at the District Operation Center, Tom explained that the volunteers have also been demonstrating what sets them apart from other volunteer groups. They have been running the information and referral lines, taking calls and running errands for those who need support. He said, “it’s all about the personal touch of connecting with others that makes BCHD’s volunteers so special.”

Volunteer Services also provided a review of some volunteers who have taken the time to evaluate their lives and have decided to retire. After 30 years of volunteering, Florence Metcalfe is one who has decided to step down from her incredible commitment to staffing the reception desk and bringing a smile to everyone’s face.   Betty Raulin is another. She volunteered for the past 38 years and while she is retiring from her Campus Greeter position, she will continue to make blankets for people in hospice. 

We also heard the very sad news that volunteer Shirley Hutchins passed away after being an accomplished volunteer for 25 years greeting visitors to the BCHD campus every Wednesday. She was a wonderful contributor to her community and will be missed by everyone.

And finally, Megan Vixie from Beach Cities, introduced the new VolunCheer Wellness Challenge, which invites volunteers to complete various health-related activities each week such as following COVID-19 safety guidelines, connecting with others, caring for their well-being and attending virtual social events.
Thank you, Florence, for 30 years and nearly 7,000 hours of service and laughs!
Thank you, Betty Raulin, for 38 years and over 10,000 hours of service with a smile! ​
We are grateful for Shirley Hutchins, who gave over 4,500 hours of service during her 25 years as a BCHD volunteer.
If you weren’t able to attend, the meeting recording can be found here.

Written by Sue Murray, Volunteer Spotlight Writer
VolunCheer Challenge
November 11 - January 1, 2021

We want all of our BCHD volunteers to know about our first-ever VolunCheer Wellness Challenge running from November 11, 2020 to January 1, 2021! This challenge is meant to help BCHD Volunteers stay healthy and connected during the holiday season. Do weekly challenge activities, log points, and earn a prize!
HOW TO
• Register at bchd.org/volunteer
• Read weekly email reminders about challenge activities
• Log points on our wellness platform
• Message board to connect with others
HEALTH LEADERSHIP
Earn 150 points for being a health leader this week by following COVID-19 health guidance or sharing health guidance with family and friends:


  • Correctly wear a cloth face covering to prevent disease spread when outside your home and around others that are not part of your household.
  • Avoid confined spaces - Actively stay away from indoor spaces that don’t allow for easy distancing of at least 6 feet between you and others.
  • Avoid close contact – Stay at least 6 feet away (3 or more adult steps) from all other people who are not part of your own household, especially while talking, eating, drinking and singing.
  • Wash or sanitize your hands often.
  • Clean frequently touched items regularly.
  • If you are sick, or you have been in contact with someone who is sick with COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19, stay home and away from others.
  • Repost a BCHD social media post regarding health guidance or safe health practices or activities.
CONNECTION
Earn 150 points by completing one of these connection activities:

  • Attend the BCHD Volunteer Gratitude Party Nov. 19 from 1-2 p.m. to gather with peers and BCHD staff in a celebration of service and gratitude.
  • Decorate and write a card for the Holiday Gift Bag Project. Click for directions.
WELL-BEING
Earn 150 points for creating a wellness goal for the VolunCheer challenge:
I will ____________________________ (action or practice) ___________________________________ (frequency) by______________________ (timeline). My accountability buddy is ____________ (name).

Some examples of action or practices include taking a walk, go outside, practice mindfulness, connect with a friend, eat plant-based meals, craft, etc. Find a buddy to help keep you on track!
SHARE
Earn 50 points each week for sharing your answer to a question on the challenge message board! This week’s topic:

What do you believe is the health impact of your volunteer role(s) for yourself and those you serve?
BONUS OPPORTUNITIES
Earn up to 300 total bonus points for attending different BCHD Virtual Social and Wellness Events during the challenge. This week’s events are:

· Happiness Chat Tuesdays, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
· Moai Social 11/18 5-6 p.m.
· Cooking Show 11/19 4-5 p.m.
Need more info? Read the challenge flyer or email us at volunteers@bchd.org.
Beach Cities Health District continues to publish a regular newsletter, website updates and social media posts to provide the community with the latest information regarding COVID-19 health guidance, testing, closures, and recovery. Be a health leader in the community by staying informed and staying safe.
 
In addition to physical distancing and wearing cloth face coverings when we are around others, we all still need to take the same precautions that we were taking earlier on in the pandemic - wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands and self-isolate if you are sick. These actions combined are the best defense against COVID-19.
Thank you to our 2020 Volunteer Advisory Council:
Morgan Bulen​, Karen Blanchard, Sue Brilliant​, Sandy Chulik​, KC Christensen, Mary Drummer​, Candice Gill​, Dennis Heck​, Fred Manna​, Marie Puterbaugh, Katie Velvin​, Mary Wadman (Note: Top photo taken pre-COVID) 
 
Featured Opportunity: 2021 Volunteer Advisory Council
Are you passionate about volunteering? Want to collaborate with Volunteer Services to enhance the BCHD volunteer experience? 
The Volunteer Advisory Council meets once a quarter to discuss further engaging the community in volunteerism and creating the most meaningful volunteer experience for all volunteers at BCHD. Applications are open to serve on the council for the 2021 term. Applicants should embody a passion for volunteerism and understanding of its transformative power to solve social issues. You must also be a current BCHD volunteer and remain active throughout the term on the council. Details and application can be found at www.bchd.org/volunteer. Deadline to apply is December 7, 2020.
 
Featured Opportunity: Decorate a Holiday Card 
We are looking for volunteers to help color and decorate holiday cards which will be inserted in each holiday gift bag and delivered to our older adult clients. For more information and to participate go to https://www.bchd.org/holidaygiftbags
 
Featured Opportunity: Support Line Volunteers
Seeking personable volunteers who enjoy talking to people on the phone and are experienced using a computer (including Outlook email, spreadsheets and basic computer databases) to connect with isolated older adults and adults with disabilities in the community for well-being checks. A weekly 2-hour weekday shift can be flexibly scheduled and done remotely.
 
Featured Opportunity: Bilingual Spanish Translator
We are looking for volunteers who are proficient in written Spanish to assist the District with translating a variety of documents from English to Spanish. Shift times are flexible and this opportunity is on an as-needed basis.
 
Interested in Support Line or Spanish Translation roles?
Current BCHD volunteers may fill out this form to indicate their interest.
To join our team, fill out an application at www.bchd.org/volunteer.
 
Check this page on our site for other ways to help during COVID-19.
Holiday Gift Bags

Each holiday season since 1998, friendly volunteers have delivered gift bags filled with practical and fun gifts to 250 Beach Cities seniors and adults with disabilities, many of whom are homebound or live in isolation.

2020 has highlighted the need to be prepared for emergencies. With the help of various organizations and community members, we are raising funds to provide an emergency kit backpack to each holiday gift bag recipient that contains three days of essential supplies. Additionally, recipients may receive grocery gift cards, stamps, a BCHD face covering, hand sanitizer, a 2021 calendar, healthy snacks, and a holiday card created by members of our community.

Ways to Give
While the Holiday Gift Bag project will be different this year, we still need your help to continue this wonderful tradition.
 
Donate
In order to fund the Holiday Gift Bag project, we are seeking community donations.  This year, each bag will cost approximately $60. All donors will be invited to contribute to a virtual “In Honor of” message board in lieu of paper cards. Donate $100 or more by December 1st and you, your family or organization will be acknowledged in a local newspaper and in a letter that goes to all gift bag recipients.

Volunteer
Due to local health orders and the vulnerable population we serve, we won’t be able to offer the opportunity to volunteer delivering bags as we have in the past – and hope to again in the future. BCHD staff and essential-service volunteers will be delivering bags following strict safety protocol. However, we are looking for volunteers to help color and decorate holiday cards that will be inserted in each holiday gift bag and delivered to our older adult clients. For more information and to participate, go to https://www.bchd.org/holidaygiftbags
While many BCHD volunteer roles continue to be on hold for safety reasons, some committees are meeting virtually and others are providing support to isolated and vulnerable residents running errands for essential supplies and delivering meals. We also have volunteers making check-in calls to BCHD clients, which increases connection and reduces social isolation. There are volunteers operating computers and calling people who tested positive for COVID-19 at the Redondo Beach test site as well.
Volunteer Hours

While volunteer support has changed with our continued adaptations due to COVID-19, the hours reported below are remarkable and don’t even fully capture the support people have given to the community. Thank you!

January: 3,015
February: 2,503
March: 1,196
April: 412
May: 334
June: 1,474
July: 783
August: 1,008
September: 886
October: 1,187
2020 Total: 12,808
Volunteer Anniversaries

Although many of you aren’t actively volunteering in your usual roles right now, we are endlessly grateful for your commitment. The many collective years of efforts toward a healthy beach community from our volunteers is truly incredible.
November Anniversaries*
 Jayne Glodowski, 12
Peggy Kramer, 8
Andrew Ooms, 8
Gregory Black, 6
Mary Jo Ford, 6
Denise Fucci, 6
Gina Ruben, 6
Shiho Bean, 3
Tiana Capper, 3
Robert Cashion, 3
Kim Fukumoto, 2
Lindsay O'Brien, 2
Sara Bittner, 1
Nancy Henderson, 1
Jahnmaika Normil, 1
* Official years of service in BCHD system.
Join The November Virtual Social Hour

“I’m really enjoying the BCHD Volunteer Social Hour on Zoom each month. Although I was not a Zoom fan, I’m getting used to it and really having fun and getting to better know the other volunteers!” -Kim Neglia, Conversation Companion

Whether you’re participating in the VolunCheer Wellness Challenge or not, we invite you to take some time and connect with your fellow volunteers during one or both of our remaining volunteer socials of 2020!
 
GRATITUDE PARTY!
Our November Virtual Volunteer Social will be Thursday, Nov. 19, 1-2 p.m.
Join fellow volunteers, along with BCHD staff from various departments for an hour of socializing and celebrating what we are thankful for.
 
We will kick off our social by sharing one thing we are grateful for in our lives so “bring” something you are grateful for (could also be a pic of such item) for our “show and tell” and then do a fun activity. There is room for EVERYONE and NO RSVP is needed!!! Please see below for meeting info:
 
To Join the Meeting:
You can also call in: +1 669 900 9128 
Meeting ID: 975 5145 1130
Passcode: 535662
 
Save the Date for the final remaining 2020 virtual social of the year: December 17, 1-2 p.m.
A heartfelt congratulations to BCHD’s Purpose & Engagement Coordinator, Kate Ekman, CVA, for receiving the Emerging Leaders Award from the Association for Leaders in Volunteer Engagement. This award recognizes volunteer engagement professionals across the nation for their contributions to the field as mentors, leaders, trainers, and advocates. BCHD appreciates Kate’s leadership, compassion and integrity to our volunteers and those they serve. Congratulations again, Kate!
Enjoy some down time solving this super fun Word Search by finding all of the words hidden in the puzzle. The words may be placed diagonally, horizontally, vertically, or backwards.
ACCOUNTABILITY
EXERCISE
FAMILY
FITNESS
FOOD
GRATITUDE
MENTAL HEALTH
PHYSICAL HEALTH
THANKSGIVING
TURKEY
October Crossword Answer Key
Virtual Happiness Chats
Support your well-being with casual discussions focused on connection and resilience. Attend one or all chats!
 Tuesdays
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Virtual Social Hour
Join Blue Zones Project for a virtual “Social Hour.” Enjoy good company and practice some of BZP’s Power 9 Principles of Longevity, including Down Shift and Right Tribe. Relax, bring your healthy bites and connect with your community!

Tuesday, December 8
4 p.m.
Virtual BCHD Board of Directors Meeting

Wednesday, November 18
6:30 p.m.