Volunteer Spotlight: Linda Abbiss Brings the “Live” to the LiveWell Program

By: Jason Argent, Volunteer Executive Writer

For Linda Abbiss, retiring after 35 years at Northrop Grumman wasn’t the end of her work. It was the beginning of a new kind of purpose. These days, you’ll find her outside with dirt on her hands and a smile on her face, doing something she loves and has grown up doing: gardening. 

Linda is one of Beach Cities Health District’s (BCHD) dedicated Garden Angels, volunteers who help bring the LiveWell Kids program to life. Designed to teach elementary school students about healthy habits, from nutrition and physical activity to gardening, LiveWell Kids connects what happens in the classroom to what’s growing in the schoolyard. That’s where Garden Angels come in. They help manage and maintain the school gardens, working side-by-side with teachers and students to plant seasonal crops and spark curiosity about food, nature, and health. 

Linda joined the Garden Angels in March 2024 and immediately felt at home. A lifelong gardener with a sprawling backyard garden of her own, she’d been looking for a way to give back, and this was the perfect fit. 

“Growing up, my mom lived in a place where there just weren’t a lot of community resources,” she says. “That stuck with me. I always knew that when I retired, I’d find a way to give back to the community.” 

Now, she volunteers one to two days a week, using her green thumb to nurture not just plants, but a sense of wonder in young kids who may be discovering gardening for the very first time. 

This August, she’ll once again be part of BCHD’s Volunteer Day, a large-scale community effort to prepare the school gardens for the new year. It’s a big undertaking, and Garden Angels like Linda serve as volunteer leads, helping to coordinate teams, share expertise, and make sure the gardens are ready for little hands come fall. 

For Linda, it’s more than just pulling weeds or planting lettuce. It’s about connections. Connections between kids, nature and health, and a connection between volunteers and their community. 

“It’s amazing to see how curious the kids are. They plant something themselves, it grows, and their eyes light up. They’re learning where food really comes from, and that healthy food doesn’t just come in a package” she says. 

At home, Linda still tends her own robust garden and spends time with her husband, daughter, and grandson. But the hours she spends as a Garden Angel are rooted in something just as lasting: a deep love for her community and a belief that even small seeds can grow into something meaningful.