Community Development YMCA of Greater Long Beach

Six months ago, when this pandemic started, our YMCA was deemed as an essential service provider and we have been open to serve our community until now. Our staff have been working in person to provide essential services such as food, PPE distributions and deliveries, gift cards, baby and school supplies, technology equipments, digital assistance, social and mental health prevention, and early interventions to over 2000 seniors with disability, youth, families, medical worker...s, Buddhist monks, elders at mosques and churches in need. Our staff made deliveries to their house, Buddhist temples, Muslim mosques, and churches when many of them are unable to come pick up food and supplies at our drive-through distributions every Thursday. We would like to thank all our dedicated staff, youth volunteers and interns who are bilingual and culturally competent in Khmer, Vietnamese, Sinhala, Thai, and Spanish for their compassion, commitment, and hard work for our community. Big thank you to our community partners such as Food Finders, Mrs. King at Women in Action Reaching Out, American University of Health Sciences Foundation, Mr. Justin Rudd! at Community Action Team (CAT), our Youth Institute Alumni Nathan Godinez, board member @Robin Thorne at CTI Environmental Inc., human I T, Councilmember Rex Richardson, MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, and Food Forward for supplying all the foods and supplies. Because this has been one of our greatest focuses, when we said we have been here with and for the community in need, we meant it. If other places are still closed or no longer provide these essential services, please reach out to us. If you would like to support our YMCA during these difficult times, please consider making a contribution at:https://cdymca2020.funraise.org/fundraiser/cdcovid19

MUST READ!!! The Community Development YMCA of Greater Long Beach has been working hard throughout the pandemic. Read below to see what we have been up to.

Congratulations to the Youth Institute Class of 2020 and alumni! Even during a pandemic, you were all able to continue through the program and complete your films. We are all very proud of you. To watch the 2020 Youth Institute Film Festival you can check it out at tinyurl.com/yifilms2020

Please join us tonight

We are now live!

We look forward to having you participate in the first Cambodian Community Forum about COVID-19, Services Support and Resources for the Cambodian Community and Local Businesses in Long Beach on Facebook Live event in Khmer today at 5:30 p.m. here on the City of Long Beach Facebook page below. COVID- : Facebook https://facebook.com/events/s/city-of-long-beach-covid-19-re/281508973164281/?ti=icl

Providing community services support and resources for the under-served and un-represented lowest income culturally marginalized communities in Long Beach has been one of our greatest focuses. Since COVID-19 started, we have safely distributed and delivered over 20,000 pounds of produce, dairy, meat, canned, packaged frozen foods. We have also given out personal protection supplies like surgical masks, face shields and hand sanitizers, baby supplies such as Enfamil, diapers, ...pacifiers and newborn blankets to 625 families and individuals including seniors with disability, youth, homeless, immigrant and refugee families, Buddhist monks at their temple, and elders at Muslim mosque. We have distributed 70 laptops to youth and kids in low income families who can't afford a laptop for school online classes, practicing their digital design skills, for their family to apply for online resources and staying informed. Moreover, we have provided assistance on social, unemployment, immigration services, Mental Health First Aid, and Family Crisis Interventions to over 450 people over the phone and in person. Thank you to our friends at FoodFinders, Community Action Team, FoodForward, Mrs. King from Women In Action Reaching Out, Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion, Councilmember Rex Richardson, and Memorial Care of Long Beach for continuing the partnership with us to provide foods, personal protection supplies and technology equipment to our community in need. We have been with you and for you. If you would like to support our YMCA during these difficult times, please consider making a contribution at: https://cdymca2020.funraise.org/fundraiser/cdcovid19

You are invited to join our Community Operations Director Mr. Sokthea Phay, Cambodian Community Leaders, and the City of Long Beach, to participate in the COVID-19 Facebook Live event in Khmer on Thursday, July 23 at 5:30 p.m. here on our FB page. COVID-19 : Facebook

Thanks the Y-USA organizing committee behind the scenes and Y leaders across the country for hosting and sharing during this townhall! This is who we truly are as the Y and collective communities and partners! This is the biggest issue we have been fighting for! #UnlearningSystemicRacism

"Únase a nosotros en línea el sábado 27 de junio de 16:00-17: 30 (Hora de Ginebra) para el primer evento de la serie de Voces juveniles: un futuro sin racismo. Los jóvenes de todo el mundo participarán en una mesa redonda, seguida de un café virtual donde podrán compartir experiencias personales y continuar la conversación sobre un futuro sin racismo. Se transmitirá en vivo en Facebook y YouTube, o puede registrarse para verlo en Zoom (traducción al español disponible) http://ow.ly/oKWp50Af6LU #YMCAYouthVoices #FutureWithoutRacism #BlackLivesMatter

"Just a few days to go until we host Youth Voices: A Future Without Racism on Saturday, 16:00-17:30 (Geneva). Joining our Panel Moderator Senait Brown will be young speakers who have been impacted by white privilege. Do you have ideas of how to overcome racism? Share them in the post-event virtual café. Find out more on our website http://ow.ly/IyZz50Ae61M Livestream on Facebook and YouTube, or register to watch on Zoom (Spanish translation available) http://ow.ly/U3Vw50Ae61L #YMCAYouthVoices #FutureWithoutRacism #BlackLivesMatter"

Today the Youth Institute honored our high school seniors to celebrate and congratulate them on this monumental achievement. We shared a physically distant lunch, reflected on the past four years, and imparted some words of wisdom. Special thanks to the Youth Institute Founder and retired Senior Vice President Bob Cabeza, his lovely wife Julie, and son Lucas for their extremely generous gift to our seniors.

Humbled to have Mayor Robert Garcia come to the Community Development YMCA this morning and listen to the challenges, issues, and resiliency our youth have experienced living as underrepresented youth of color in the City of Long Beach

Today 35 Youth Institute participants had a youth forum with Mayor Robert Garcia and Councilmember Rex Richardson regarding challenges, trauma, and strengths in their communities. We personally want to thank the Mayor and Councilmember for dedicating this time to listen to our youth and empowering them to be the change. This trauma informed conversation increased their resiliency and mental health.