Recently in Volunteers Category

Thirty-five gift cards, worth $525, and more than 600 toys and gifts were donated by City of Cerritos employees and Cerritos Sheriff's Station personnel to help needy families this holiday season. The donations were distributed through Toys for Tots, the Artesia-Cerritos Community Christmas Program and Salvation Army-Angel Tree program.

Holiday shopping store and donation to Miller Children's Hospital

Tis the season to shop and share! Children's Garden Pre-School ended the year on December 15 and 16 with their 3, 4, and 5-year-olds going to their "Holiday Shopping Store." Their parents donated re-gifted items or items purchased from the Dollar store. Parents also donated $.25 per item for the pre-schoolers to purchase gifts for everyone in the family.

Submitted by Janét Hund

This beautiful lady is Jeanelle Booth. As a special guest she attended the Long Beach Poly Retired staff's luncheon on May 2nd. Jeanelle graduated from Poly in 1935. She spoke at the luncheon about her memories of Poly during the 1933 earthquake and other memories of her school days. Everyone was so impressed by her that people kept asking the committee where we found her. We found her right here in Bixby Knolls where she has lived most of her life. Jeanelle played the violin in the Poly Orchestra under director Anthony Gill. After graduating she played with the Women's Symphony which was invited to play at the World's Fair in San Diego. She later became a member of the Long Beach Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Robert Resta. She is active in Bethany Baptist Church of Long Beach. No one would guess that she will be celebrating her 94th birthday in August. She is quite a lady and has made Poly proud.

These Lakewood residents, including Mayor Larry Van Nostran, came to my house on April 16 to help me with yard work that I'm having a hard time with these days. My late husband, Juan, and I became involved in Lakewood activities in the 1970s. We coached for many years in Lakewood Youth Sports at Bloomfield Park. Since Juan passed away, the work in the yard and on the outside of the house has gotten to be too much for me at times. I was so grateful that my Lakewood neighbors pitched in to help me on Volunteer Day. They cleared out overgrown weeds, trimmed plants and even did some touch-up painting. My house looks so nice now. I understand many other Lakewood residents were also helped on Volunteer Day. Thank you so much to my friends and neighbors in Lakewood. Words can't fully express my gratitude.

Members of the La Palma-Cerritos AAUw, the Soroptimist International of Artesia-Cerritos, and the Woman's Club of Cerritos Artesia who portrayed famous women who influenced women's rights and accomplishments at the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day celebration on March 14 at the Cerritos Library. The women were selected from 1911 to 2011 and included Suffragettes, politicians, activists, an astronaut, and athlete, a former first lady, media mogul and philantropist Oprah Winfrey, the first woman graduate of Ringling Bros. Crown College and others.

Marina Pacifica's 3rd Annual Food Drive for Food Finders. Each year volunteers go door to door, about 570 doors, picking up food from residents. We had over 13 volunteers. We collect and sort the food and we also ask for personal care items and pet food. In 2008 and 2009, we collected over 1000 pounds of food - results aren't in yet for 2010. Even the pouring rain didn't stop anyone from contributing to a good cause.

I would like to send a BIG thank you to our clients,coworkers and friends for another successful year of contributions for Project Shepherd in Lakewood.
Salon Allure has participated in Project Shepherd for the past five years and donations this year exceeded all expectations. We would like to thank all who donated to our three assigned families. We are so proud to help our community.


The "G Strings" Ukulele Group entertaining Susan McCormick's ABC Adult Education class at the Artesia Community Center in December. Pictured, left to right, lead singer Dave McFarland, Katherine Agnello, Lilly Murray, Norma Duffey, Pam House, Ira Kaget and Jane Clyde. The group recently entertained by doing a humorous parody of the song "My Favorite Things." They have so much fun playing the ukulele and singing in ukulele class.

Board members of the Long Beach Dental Hygienists' Society, a component of the American Dental Hygienists' Association, prepared over 200 dental health kits in December for local shelters for women and teens at their December meeting. Kits included toothbrushes, dental floss, colorful kids flossers, toothpaste and sugar free gum in holiday bags.
Deliveries were made to a shelter for victims of domestic violence in Long Beach, and to Precious Life shelter for homeless pregnant women and the Casa Youth Shelter, both in Los Alamitos. Children and their family members at the Bethune Transitional School for homeless families in Long Beach were also among the grateful recipients. The project was coordinated by two recent graduates from Cypress College, LaRhonda McCracken, RDH and Abbra Sanders, RDH with the assistance of Dale Parker, RDH. LaRhonda is a Long Beach resident and is the new Chairperson for the LBDHS Community Health projects. Generous donations were received from Dr. Steven Pakiz of Long Beach and Proctor and Gamble(Crest).

Left to right, Mary Spohn, Diana Webb, Donna Kriesel and Betty Mergl, Shawl Ministry members from St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Cypress with 150 hand-made shawls. They presented about 75 shawls they made to people who came to the Anointing of the Sick Mass on December 4. They said prayers as they knitted each shawl and said a special prayer for each person as they placed the shawl on the person's shoulders. Missing from the photo is Olivia Sisneros who also knitted shawls and was present that day.

Shanna Olson, a Long Beach native, recently won the title of Ms. Petite United America 2011 at the Petite United America pageant held in Austin, Tx. in October at the Wyndham Hotel. Shanna, formerly Ms. Petite California, competed against delegates from states across the United States.
She is a real estate agent and actress and also writes and illustrates children's books. She is producing a children's webseries about animals and kindness.
Olson will represent the title of Ms. Petite United America for one year. She is a huge animal lover and has three Pomeranians. Her platform is "People Helping Animals, and Animals Helping People" and she loves volunteering her time helping homeless animals get adopted. She also hopes to promote some of the many ways animals help people, and people can get involved with volunteering with their pets with programs like PAWS to read and Seniors for Seniors.

My father Joe Morales, far left, is pictured with fellow Long Beach Fire Ambassadors, Stan and Barbara during a recent visit to Gant Elementary School. My father is a retired Trans World Airlines A and P mechanic and has volunteered for many years with both the Long Beach Fire Ambassadors. My father and the other volunteers visited local schools and emphasized fire safety and education. Most recently, he was recognized for all his special work during the holiday season. He provided toys and gifts to children who are less fortunate. My father and all the other special volunteers performed a wonderful service throughout the year. Great job Dad!

Submitted by Tony Morales
Long Beach

Mrs. Irene McReynolds of Bell was recently presented the 2010 Kimi Sugiyama Human Service Award during the recent Shinnen-Enkai (New Year's celebration. McReynolds is pictured with picture Rev. Dr. Steven E. Wirth of the Grace First Presbyterian Church in Long Beach.
This award is named after the late Kimi Sugiyama, a pioneer member of the Japanese Presbyterian Church in Long Beach and a pivotal figure in the Japanese American community in Long Beach, where she was instrumental in helping many Japanese workers who had little or no understanding of the English language and of American labor rights.
In loving memory of their mother, Kimi Sugiyama's children established the Sugiyama Fund at Grace First Presbyterian Church, as well as the annual Kimi Sugiyama Human Service Award. The award is presented annually to a person in the community in recognition of his/her outstanding creativity and self-sacrifice in extending God's love to others.
These characteristics certainly typify the life of Mrs. Irene McReynolds.