Sonia Georgy: Finding Connection Through Volunteering 

When Sonia Georgy emigrated from Egypt to the United States 48 years ago with her young son and husband, she never imagined that volunteering would one day become an important part of her health and happiness. After experiencing loss and loneliness later in life, she discovered that giving back could also be a powerful way to build connection and find purpose.

The Georgy family settled in Culver City, where Sonia built a career in banking while her husband worked as an electrician for the railroad. Their daughter soon joined the family. Today, Sonia beams when she talks about her children and four grandchildren, ages 8 to 19. “They are the joy of my life!”

After their children left home, Sonia and her husband moved to a 55+ community in Redondo Beach, hoping to simplify their lives as his health began to decline. Her husband had always believed strongly in giving back, volunteering more than 2,500 hours at the Culver City Senior Center and later at Beach Cities Health District’s (BCHD) Center for Health and Fitness.

His commitment to service left a lasting impression on Sonia. After he passed away in 2022, she joined BCHD as a Campus Greeter. At a time when she was grieving, volunteering offered Sonia a way to stay connected, honor her husband’s memory and bring a little more connection into her own life.

Today, Sonia welcomes visitors at the lobby desk in the 514 Building, greeting staff and guests as they enter and helping them find their way. But her role goes beyond providing directions. With warmth and empathy, she encourages people to feel comfortable sharing what is on their minds, believing that talking with someone can help “lighten their load.” Over time, her weekly shifts have also given Sonia something of her own: a network of friends she looks forward to seeing each week.

“She has a natural way of making people feel comfortable and welcomed, and her kindness shines through in every interaction,” says Cindy Carcamo, Sonia’s volunteer supervisor. “Sonia brings a sweet and genuine energy to her role as a Campus Greeter.” Cindy adds that Sonia’s years of service reflect “the care she has for the people around her and the community she has helped build here.”

Sonia carries that same spirit of connection into her life outside BCHD. She enjoys getting her steps in at the beach or around her apartment complex, often inviting neighbors to join her. She also volunteers with the Red Cross, helping make blood donors feel welcomed and cared for.

For Sonia, volunteering is ultimately about something simple but powerful: showing up for others. Her advice to anyone considering volunteering is equally straightforward: “Show you care. Make time to share with other people and make a difference.”

Sonia has found that connection can take many forms: a smile at the lobby desk, a conversation that lightens someone’s load, a walk with a neighbor or a helping hand at a blood drive. In giving her time to others, she has found a meaningful way to keep her husband’s spirit of service alive while continuing to strengthen her own sense of belonging.

A Helping Hand at AdventurePlex: Meet Julie Stohr, Adventure Assistant

By Kami Danaei, Volunteer Spotlight Writer 

For Julie Stohr, volunteering at Beach Cities Health District’s AdventurePlex is a chance to give back to a place that was part of her childhood, while gaining valuable experience working with children. A student at Redondo Union High School, Julie was born and raised in the Beach Cities and enjoys living in Redondo because she feels a strong sense of connection with the people around her.

Julie chose to volunteer as an Adventure Assistant at AdventurePlex because she remembers visiting the facility when she was younger and wanted to help create that same positive experience for today’s children. As a health and fitness center designed especially for youth, AdventurePlex provides a safe, structured environment where children can challenge themselves physically, mentally and intellectually through a variety of activities.

As an Adventure Assistant, Julie helps create a fun, educational and safe experience for participants. She helps maintain clean and safe spaces throughout the facility and assists with activities such as arts and crafts, ropes courses, rock climbing, costume play and story time. She also supports camp staff during facility rotations and helps set up and organize activities, contributing to a welcoming and positive environment for children.

“Julie truly went above and beyond during her time volunteering at AdventurePlex. She consistently took initiative, jumping in wherever help was needed and making a positive impact across multiple groups. Her willingness to support both staff and campers did not go unnoticed.

Thank you, Julie, for making such a meaningful difference,” said Sam Carcamo, Julie’s supervisor.

Julie appreciates how welcoming the AdventurePlex community is. Since she hopes to work with children in the future, volunteering has given her an opportunity to develop valuable skills in helping, supporting and caring for young children.

Her advice to other students considering volunteering is simple: “Just to be patient and do what you feel most comfortable with.” Outside of volunteering, Julie enjoys spending time with friends and shopping; two activities she says bring her a lot of joy.

Can you build a blue zone?

Posted on Vox YouTube

Blue zones are places around the world where people have been reported to live longer, healthier lives. The idea began with researchers studying communities in places like Sardinia, Okinawa, Ikaria, Nicoya, and Loma Linda, where daily life seemed to support longevity through movement, connection, purpose, and healthier eating.

But over time, Blue Zones became more than a way to study longevity. They became a certification program exported to communities across the United States.

In this video, we visit California’s Beach Cities to see what happens when a community tries to re-create the conditions of a blue zone, and ask whether the lessons of longevity can really be engineered, or whether basic public health ideas have been repackaged into something much bigger.

Read more about Blue Zones:

• The Longevity Hot Spots That Weren’t
• Shades of blue: Blue zones, supposed havens of longevity, have become a global brand. But skeptics think they rest on shaky science
• Why People in “Blue Zones” Live Longer Than the Rest of the World
• Do People in ‘Blue Zones’ Actually Live Longer?

This video is presented by Colgate. Colgate doesn’t have a say in Vox editorial decisions, but they make videos like this one possible.

Where Gardens Grow, Community Blooms 

By Kami Danaei, Volunteer Spotlight Writer 

Since 2013, Lindley Montoya has been a dedicated BCHD volunteer, making a lasting impact through her roles as both a Garden Angel and an Errand Volunteer. While she enjoys helping neighbors by delivering groceries, it’s her work in BCHD’s school gardens that has truly taken root.

After retiring from Northrop Grumman, Lindley knew she wanted to give back to her community. She volunteered with a few local organizations before discovering BCHD’s Garden Angels program while volunteering in her grandchildren’s classrooms. Today, with her grandkids attending Redondo Beach schools, she finds joy in helping create thriving outdoor classrooms where students can learn, explore, and grow.

Garden Angels help bring the LiveWell Kids program to life by caring for school gardens between classroom lessons. Throughout the year, Lindley weeds, waters, plants seedlings, and maintains the garden beds so they’re ready for students learning about nutrition, gardening, composting, and healthy eating.

One memory stands out to her. During a second-grade tasting lesson, a student confidently declared he didn’t like salads. After trying one made with ingredients harvested from the school garden, he asked for seconds and excitedly announced he was going to ask his family to make it at home. For Lindley, moments like that show how hands-on experiences can inspire healthy habits that extend far beyond the classroom.

BCHD’s Garden Angels supervisor, Mishell Balzer, says Lindley is someone the team can always count on. She frequently goes above and beyond, returning to school gardens on her own time to finish projects, caring for the worm bins at Tulita Elementary School each week, and stepping in wherever extra help is needed. “She’s reliable, hard-working, kind, and a key member of our Garden Angel group,” Mishell says. “She makes a big difference.”

This August, Lindley will serve as a volunteer lead during BCHD’s Volunteer Day, helping prepare school gardens for the upcoming school year. Volunteers work together to tackle larger projects—refreshing garden beds, replacing bark, replanting seedlings, and creating welcoming spaces for students to discover when they return in the fall.

For Lindley, volunteering has been just as rewarding as the service she provides. “I believe I get more out of these programs than I give,” she says. “I’ve made wonderful friends, learned new gardening skills and become part of a community that’s healthier and closer because of BCHD.”

BCHD Honored for Financial Reporting for Seventh Straight Year

Government Finance Officers Assoc. salutes BCHD for excellence

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (July 29, 2026) – Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) has received the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025.

The award marks the seventh consecutive year BCHD has earned the recognition, receiving the Certificate of Achievement each year since 2019.

The Certificate of Achievement is GFOA’s highest recognition for governmental accounting and financial reporting. The program honors state and local governments that produce annual financial reports that go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles and demonstrate a commitment to transparency and full disclosure.

“Our Finance team is exceptionally thorough in preparing these reports for our community, and their work reflects BCHD’s commitment to transparency and accountability,” said Tom Bakaly, CEO for BCHD. “Receiving this recognition for seven consecutive years demonstrates the professionalism, expertise and dedication of our Finance team and their commitment to serving the Beach Cities communities.”

“This award represents a significant achievement by Beach Cities Health District,” said Michele Mark Levine, GFOA’s director of technical services. “The GFOA established its awards program in 1945 to encourage and assist state and local governments to go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles and prepare comprehensive annual financial and budget reports demonstrating transparency and full disclosure.”

In addition to the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, BCHD has earned GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for each of the past seven years, recognizing excellence in governmental budgeting.

BCHD makes its budget documents available to the public online. The budget is reviewed by the District’s resident advisory Finance Committee and discussed during public Board meetings. Each year, BCHD also distributes an annual report to Beach Cities households highlighting its programs, services and financial performance.

BCHD Seeks Volunteers for Annual Beach Cities Volunteer Day Supporting School Gardens, Student Wellness, and Education

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (July 29, 2026) — Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) will host its annual Beach Cities Volunteer Day on Wednesday, August 12, and invites local residents, businesses and organizations to participate in a Day of Service to help prepare elementary school gardens across Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach for the upcoming school year. 

Volunteer Day supports BCHD’s LiveWell Kids program, which delivers nutrition education, farm-to-table lessons, and mindfulness practices to more than 5,000 students annually in partnership with local school districts and hundreds of parent volunteers.  

The Volunteer Day event begins at 8:30 a.m. with check-in and instructions at Dominguez Park in Redondo Beach, followed by volunteer service at assigned school garden sites from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. 

“This day of volunteering is a great way for our entire community to make a difference and help create a healthy future for our children,” said BCHD CEO Tom Bakaly. “The support we receive for LiveWell Kids and events like Volunteer Day is inspiring and essential to the program’s continued success. Volunteer Day offers an opportunity to make an impact and serve young people in our community.” 

The LiveWell Kids program was established in 2007 in response to high childhood obesity rates in the Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD). Since its inception, there has been a dramatic decline in student obesity in the RBUSD—from 20 percent in 2007 to just 5 percent in 2023, a 75% decrease. This compares favorably to the national student obesity rate, which in 2024 was 16 percent, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health*. 

Garden beds are maintained year-round by BCHD’s “Garden Angel” volunteers and serve as living classrooms for teaching students about healthy eating, physical activity, and mindfulness.

How to Get Involved: 

• Volunteer: Help prepare elementary school gardens for fall lessons in nutrition and wellness. More information is available at www.bchd.org/volunteer.

• Sponsor: Area businesses and residents can support the growth of the LiveWell Kids program and promote wellness in your organization. To learn more, contact Cristan Mueller, BCHD’s Chief Health Operations & Communications Officer, at cristan.mueller@bchd.org. 

Event Details: 

What:                    Beach Cities Volunteer Day 

Date:                     Wednesday, August 12, 2026 

When:                   Check-in: 8:30 a.m.  

Where:                 Dominguez Park, 200 Flagler Lane, Redondo Beach, CA 

Service Time:     9:30–11:30 a.m. at school sites  

For more information, visit www.bchd.org/volunteer/volunteer-day or contact Alejandra Sierra, Volunteer Engagement Supervisor, at (310) 374-3426 x8160. 

*Source: https://www.childhealthdata.org/browse/survey/results?q=12282&r=1

Size limits to build at Beach Cities Health District will not go to voters yet

by Garth Meyer, Easy Reader

Building limits for the Beach Cities Health District will not go on a ballot in November.

The Redondo Beach city council voted Tuesday to keep the district’s campus, and similar Public-Institutional zones, separate from a decision on other parts of the city.

“Public-Institutional” refers to properties such as school sites, the city hall complex and the BCHD’s 11-acre hilltop land, which is subject to be redeveloped beginning next year.

On the table is a proposal by Sunrise Senior Living to build a 217-unit assisted living building once the existing 1960 former South Bay Hospital is torn down.

Whether or not Sunrise’s plan should be permitted is subject to city rules, namely Floor Area Ratio (FAR) – how large of a building is allowed to be built on what lots in the city.

As is, the Beach Cities Health District land has no set limits.

If limits are to be established, they would need to go before voters.

City Councilman Zein Obagi, Jr., made the motion July 14 to wait on any limits for Public-Institutional.

The motion passed 5-0.

“You’re not going to veto it, mayor?” Obagi asked.

“Uh, no,” said Mayor Jim Light. “I think we gave the people what they wanted.”

FAR means, for example, a limit of 1.0 would allow a developer to build a 1,000 square foot building on a 1,000 square foot lot.

A limit of 5.0 means 5,000 square feet would be permitted (multiple stories). A 1.0 FAR could also translate to a two-story building on half of the lot or a four-story building on a quarter of the lot.

The question of whether to set an FAR for Public-Institutional is now on pause, until the council decides to put it on a ballot, or not.

“(The decision) maintains the status of our current General Plan and Zoning Ordinance, which do not specify a limit, and leaves it to the discretion of the decision-making body (i.e. Planning Commission).”  Marc Wiener, community development director, told Easy Reader.

The matter first came up as part of the city’s General Plan update, a years-long effort to revise a document from 1992. The 27-member committee worked from 2017-24, making no recommendation to put a FAR limit on Public-Institutional zones.

This January, the city council directed staff to study potential impacts of a 1.25 FAR on the BCHD campus.

At the July 7 council meeting, former councilmember Todd Loewenstein spoke in public comment, calling for something smaller.

“A project at 1.25 FAR (on the BCHD campus) could be one of the largest in Redondo Beach’s history,” said the eight-year councilman, who termed-out in District Two last year.

Loewenstein  noted that a 1.25 limit could allow up to 240 units to be built on the campus; more than twice that of Eddy Redondo, an apartment and commercial project which opened last year on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Palos Verdes Blvd.

“1.25 could be bigger in square footage than the Sonesta Hotel (on the waterfront),” Loewenstein continued. “… Your constituents must have a say in what goes at a public site.”

He asked the council to consider a FAR of .75, in a separate ballot measure to come.

Tom Bakaly, Beach Cities Health District chief executive, told the council the same night that Sunrise would likely bow out of its proposed development deal if the FAR for the campus is (less than 1.25).

Public comment largely called for a lower FAR.

“Stay with .75. We don’t want increased density on public land,” said one caller.

Any adjustment to city zoning deemed a “major change” has to be approved by voters. This is defined as a change which could add 150 more vehicle trips per day in mornings and peak hours.

Bakaly said BCHD supported Obagi’s motion.

“Spot zoning, it’s wrong, it’s illegal,” said Mark Nelson, leader of STOPBCHD, a neighborhood group which opposes what it deems as overdevelopment plans for the campus.

After the city council’s January request for staff to study a 1.25 FAR for the BCHD land, city staff concluded it would have no significant environmental impacts.

The BCHD campus’ current buildings add up to FAR of .77.

Last September, the Planning Commission advised the council to set a FAR of .5 for all Public-Institutional land, except for city hall, police headquarters and the police annex, which would have a FAR of 1.25.

“BCHD has advocated that any FAR for Public-Institutional use throughout the city should be uniformly applied, as it is today,” Bakaly told Easy Reader.

He noted that more details on the Sunrise plan should arrive this fall.

“BCHD’s decision to proceed with Sunrise Senior Living for the campus redevelopment is separate from the broader discussion about the city’s General Plan,” he said. “It is important to keep these issues distinct because General Plan land-use and any density decisions should not be based on any single project.”

With or without a FAR for a given zone, the Planning Commission is who approves or denies city building projects.

Their rulings may be appealed to the city council. 

A Note from our CEO – July 2026

Dear Beach Cities Resident, 

When summer comes to mind, many people associate the season with vacation, and I hope you and yours get a chance to downshift before the kids go back to school. Meanwhile, at Beach Cities Health District, we are hard at work creating a healthy beach community on many fronts this summer. 

For instance, three times a month, BCHD Care Managers Joy Schmidt, LCSW and Rudy Diaz, ASW, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, host a Dementia Caregiver Support Group. Caring for a loved one with a dementia diagnosis can be overwhelming and stressful, and our support groups offer a safe space to address the challenges that come with caring for someone, find support amongst peers who share similar experiences and openly express your feelings around being a caregiver.  These groups meet in Manhattan Beach on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, and in Redondo Beach on the third Monday. Registration is not required, and more info, including times and locations, is available on our website at bchd.org. 

Our teams continue to work and make progress on the Healthy Living Campus project, with the Center for Health and Fitness and PACE provider Los Angeles Jewish Health continuing to renovate the 510 Prospect Avenue building so they will be ready to move in in 2027. 

Sunrise Senior Living is hard at work too, now in their due diligence phase, connected with the pending ground lease for the old South Bay Hospital building and parking lots. The proposal from Sunrise includes Assisted Living, Memory Care, Independent Living, plus a number of community benefits.  

Grading work is also underway for the permanent home of allcove Beach Cities in Redondo Beach, which will focus on supporting the health and well-being of young people in our community. Also, allcove has a new cohort of young people on its Youth Advisory Group, young leaders who are working to shape the vision and decisions for the new “for youth, by youth” allcove facility. 

With all this work taking place, we created a web page, www.bchd.org/construction , for residents to get news and sign up for updates about the various projects. I hope you will sign up and keep up with our progress. To view frequently asked questions, visit: https://bchd.org/healthy-living-campus/faq/ . 

Finally, if you want to get your hands dirty and do some work for your community, Beach Cities Volunteer Day on Wednesday, August 12 is a perfect opportunity. Our LiveWell Kids Garden Angels, community members and BCHD staff will work side-by-side that day to prepare elementary school gardens at 13 sites for the upcoming school year and the gardening and nutrition lessons we provide for young people in grades K-5. I hope you’ll join us – visit https://bchd.org/volunteer/volunteer-day/ to learn more and get signed up!  

In health, 

Tom  

LA County Plots Queer Safe Havens From Teens To Seniors

By Sarah Kim, Hoodline.com

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday signed off on a plan to start building a countywide network of LGBTQ+ “third spaces” – everyday, affirming hangouts outside bars and clinics, such as libraries, parks and senior centers – meant to cut loneliness and link up younger and older queer Angelenos. The effort will focus on youth ages 12 to 26 and adults 60 and older, with a goal of setting countywide standards for accessibility, safety and trauma informed programming.

The motion, introduced by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, orders the Chief Executive Office’s Anti Racism, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative to pull together a working group across county departments, including Public Health, Mental Health, Parks and Recreation, Library, Arts and Culture, and Aging and Disabilities. That group is tasked with mapping existing county facilities, lining up partner organizations, and creating a programming framework and minimum standards. The motion calls for a written report back to the Board within 60 days, followed by quarterly updates, and asks departments to identify possible funding streams, while stopping short of directly allocating money, according to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

What Officials Mean by “Third Spaces”

County leaders describe these “third spaces” as low barrier, noncommercial spots where people can drop in, find peer support and connect with others without the pressures that can come with nightlife or formal clinical care. The motion highlights allcove Beach Cities, a youth wellness center that combines drop in peer support, basic health services and referrals, as a model for what could be replicated or expanded, according to Beach Cities Health District. A county participatory mapping study has also flagged uneven access to welcoming, non nightlife community spaces across Service Planning Areas and has tied those gaps to social isolation among LGBTQ+ residents, particularly older adults and youth, according to Los Angeles County.

Community Response

Youth organizers and service providers who addressed the Board broadly cheered the move, arguing it could fill a growing hole in the county’s landscape of queer gathering places. “Third spaces ensure that LGBTQ youth have access to places where they feel safe, seen and heard, not afraid or silenced,” a UCLA student told supervisors, while the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s policy director said affirming spaces “can change and even save lives,” according to LAist.

Legal Backdrop

The push comes as transgender rights face fresh legal pressure. In late June, the U.S. Supreme Court said states may bar transgender girls and women from competing on girls’ school sports teams, a ruling advocates say only heightens the need for nonjudgmental community venues. That decision was reported by CBS News.

What to Watch Next

County agencies now face a tight clock to find funding, identify partners and hammer out minimum standards, and advocates are already insisting that any rollout center community based organizations and direct input from TGEI2S+ people and LGBTQ+ elders. A written report to the Board is expected within the motion’s 60 day window, with potential pilots, budget requests and formal partnerships likely to follow as the county turns the framework into real world sites, programming and outreach, according to Los Angeles County.