Bits 'n' Pieces

Results Downtown Public Safety Perception Survey

According to the Downtown Long Beach Alliance’s (DLBA) annual Public Safety Perception Survey, respondents said the top three priority issues facing Downtown remain safety in and around parking structures and surface lots, loitering in the public space and inoperable or lack of street lighting.

The 2022 results are based on 850 responses to an online survey conducted by DLBA in the second quarter. More than half of respondents live and/or work in downtown. The data reflect both a challenging set of circumstances facing DTLB including declining perceptions of safety and highlight ongoing successes of DLBA’s Clean and Safe teams.

“The perception survey reflects known challenges in our Downtown. It’s another opportunity to step up our community’s focus to address the needs of all stakeholders,” said DLBA Chief Operating Officer Broc Coward.

In addition, DLBA is encouraged to see more services being planned by the City of Long Beach to address health and safety as part of its recently developed $3 billion budget for 2023. This includes additional LBPD bicycle patrol officers, new quality of life officers, and expansion of resources for unhoused individuals through the city’s Restorative Engagement to Achieve Collective Health (REACH) team.

Key 2022 Public Safety Survey findings:

  • 70% would “likely/most likely” recommend a visit to Downtown to a friend or colleague.
  • The share of survey respondents who felt “completely comfortable” in Downtown between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. dropped 22% since 2019 to 40%.
  • More than 83% indicated awareness of Clean and Safe team services, an all-time survey high, including pressure washing, removal of litter, debris and stickers/graffiti, and providing directions and information.
  • Respondent awareness of all DLBA services rose since 2019, with entrepreneurial grants and homeless services both rising nearly 20 percent to 54 percent and 65 percent, respectively.
  • 62 percent were aware of resources available to assist the unhoused, up 5 percent over 2021

Rotarians Receive LBCC Community Spirit Award

On Sept. 22 the Rotary Club of Long Beach (RCLB) and the Long Beach Rotary Scholarship Foundation (LBRSF) were inaugural recipients of the Long Beach City College Foundation’s Community Spirit Distinguished Service Award at the annual Hall of Fame Awards Celebration held at The Grand.

Paul Kaminski, CEO of Long Beach City College Foundation, and Aaron Moore, LBCC Foundation Board of Governors Chair, presented the award to two Rotarian organizations, the RCLB and the LBRSF, in recognition of outstanding service to the college.

In his remarks, Moore recapped the history of the Rotary Club of Long Beach for the 200+ guests. Founded in 1917, Rotarians began providing student loans in 1929, and the Long Beach Rotary Scholarship Foundation was formed in 1934. “The Rotary Scholarship Foundation has been the #1 scholarship donor to LBCC. They have donated over $1.8 million, supporting thousands of LBCC students.” said Moore, “And on average, the Scholarship Foundation supports 100 LBCC students each year.”

Accepting the award, LBRSF Chair Larry Jackson said, “Rotarians absolutely love Long Beach City College and value the quality of education it provides. There is a synergy between the Rotary Club, the City College Trustees and the LBCC Foundation Board of Governors – many of whom also serve as Rotarians in our community.”

Alfredo Velasco, 106th president of the RCLB said, “We appreciate this recognition. Education has always been important to Long Beach Rotarians since the club’s earliest days. Recently we have begun to support LBCC in another way. We are helping food-insecure students by providing non-perishable food and hygiene items through our ‘Feeding the Future’ program.”

Speaking on behalf of scholarship recipients, Grace Johnson, a former LBCC student now attending California State University Long Beach, talked about the additional benefits she values beyond the financial help. “The funding from Rotary since I graduated from Long Beach Poly, through my two years at LBCC, and now my first year at CSULB, is great – but being a Rotary Scholar is so much more than that. Rotarians make me feel like somebody truly believes in me and believes that I can achieve my educational goals.”

Pathways Announces New Executive Director

Pathways to Independence announced that Diana Hill as its new executive director. Diana has been a community leader for over 25 years in Los Alamitos and the greater Orange County area. Diana is currently a governing board member of the Los Alamitos School District among other volunteer positions and has been associated with Pathways since 2007 serving as a mentor, coordinator, board member and interim executive director.

Diana owned and operated a national seminar firm for 18 years, was a director of education at Online Trading Academy for 14 years. Currently she is serving on the Los Alamitos school board.

As the interim executive director, Diana facilitated a board member and staff retreat, revitalized the Student Lounge for clients and dedicated the lounge in the memory of Friends of Pathways member Lori Giacomini. She raised Pathway’s status on GuideStar to the Gold Seal of Transparency and created new strategic relationships with Long Beach City College, California State University Long Beach and Golden West College

Pathways to Independence is an organization for social impact providing housing, mentoring, healthcare, therapy, college education and services for young women who have experienced trauma. Pathways’ clients, despite having experienced great hardships, are eager to become self-sufficient by achieving their education goals, finding a rewarding career, and giving back to their community in meaningful ways. Since Pathways helped its first student in 1991, the organization has assisted hundreds of young women in the Long Beach and Orange County areas.

Cancer Awareness

For Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Angels Baseball presented a $20,000 check to the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Institute at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach during a special pediatric cancer awareness night at Angel-Stadium.

The Los Angeles Angels held the event to promote childhood cancer awareness for the month of September. Annie Santos, program director, Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Institute, Sharilyn Kelly, chief nursing officer, MemorialCare Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Long Beach, and two pediatric patients: EJ Ediae and Nathaniel Barrance, were invited to attend the game and accepted the check on behalf of the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Institute.

The Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Institute provides quality, compassionate care to children with cancer, sickle cell disease and other serious blood disorders. It is one of only 10 children’s hospitals nationwide to have full accreditation through the Commission of Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.

Every year, more than 800 children are treated at Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Institute. Their services and programs ensure that all their patients and their families get the physical, mental and emotional support they need during their stay.

New MemorialCare Women’s Health Pavilion

Ground was recently broken at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, for a Women’s Health Pavilion.

The new, 40,000-square-foot facility, slated to open in 2023, will elevate the future of women’s healthcare and focus on women’s needs through all stages of their life.

 The Pavilion will offer personalized care provided by world-renowned specialists in oncology, women’s health, sexual health, obstetrics and mental health and increase access to specialized healthcare for women all under one-roof, including,:

Orange County’s first-ever integrated breast cancer clinic (featuring a breast oncologist, breast surgeon and breast reconstruction surgeon in one place).

Orange County’s the only on-site transition retail shop for patients going through cancer treatment.

A first-of-its-kind free-standing pelvic floor rehab with a dedicated pelvic floor physical therapist.

The Women’s Health Pavilion will feature a new Breast Center, will be named the Sarah & Taylor Nederlander Breast Center as a result of a $2.5 million gift from sisters Taylor and Sarah Nederlander of the Harry J. Nederlander Foundation. The new Breast Center will allow MemorialCare to nearly double the number of patients served each year.

The Pavilion will feature the most advanced technology for early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer, which will be complemented by highly trained staff including dedicated breast radiologists, who only read mammograms and are able to detect issues at the earliest stage.

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