Donations
welcome in commemoration
By Christine G. Adamo
On-line Forty-Niner
In honor of the victims of Sept. 11, assemblymember
Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach, has encouraged
constituents to volunteer or make donations
locally in a statement issued Aug. 27.
“My hope is that each of us makes a commitment
to volunteerism as a way to honor and remember
those we lost,” Oropeza said in the statement.
“I am asking that each year on Sept. 11
every Californian give to our community
as we gave to the nation last September.
“Donate blood or visit a nursing home; volunteer
at a homeless shelter or a children’s hospital;
donate money, food or needed materials to
a cause you believe in; or offer some other
act of giving. It will help you grieve with
our country while actively helping someone
in need.”
Oropeza drafted and presented a joint resolution
to the state Assembly and Senate that passed
by unanimous decision to establish an annual
Day of Remembrance and Service on Sept.
11, according to Sharon Weissman, director
of the assemblymember’s 55th district office.
The resolution was filed with the Secretary
of State April 22.
When asked how Oropeza, a former student
body president at Cal State Long Beach,
would like students to get involved, Weissman
suggested they donate blood and food but
think about offering something else, as
well.
“We would love to see college students serve
as mentors for younger students,”
Weissman said. “Having a college student
as a mentor helps a child realize that a
college education can be possible for them,
too. A good education can make all the difference
in one’s life.”
Weissman encouraged students to call Oropeza’s
office at (310) 518-3324 for more information
or to get updates regarding parks, libraries
and medical centers in Long Beach that will
be hosting local blood and food drives on
Sept. 11.
Blood donors will receive a free admission
ticket to the Aquarium of the Pacific no
matter which location they donate at. Non-perishable
food items will provide sustenance to individuals
countywide.
Interested parties may go to the main Long
Beach Public Library at 101 Pacific Ave.
between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to donate blood
or call (888) 478-6279 to schedule an appointment
with St. Mary Medical Center at 1050 Linden
Ave. The Aquarium of the Pacific, at 100
Aquarium Way, will host an alternate blood
drive on Sept. 13 between 9:30 a.m. to 3:30
p.m.
The Food Bank of Southern California will
distribute collected food items to agencies
throughout Los Angeles County that serve
the needy. Curbside donations will be accepted
at the following locations between 7 a.m.
and 7 p.m.:
•
Cesar E. Chavez Park, 401 Golden Ave.
• El Dorado Regional Park, 2800 N.
Studebaker Road
• Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave.
• Silverado Park, 1545 W. 31st St.
• Kaiser Permanente Long Beach Medical
Offices, c/o First floor reception, 3900
E. Pacific Coast Highway from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m.
According to Weissman, Hector Cepeda, director
of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Bay,
and Julie Raber, president of the Carson
Women’s Club, served as co-chairpersons
of the 55th district Day of Remembrance
and Service planning committee. They,
along with eight other members, met regularly
during a five month period.
“I hope if anything did change on 9/11,
it’s that everyone’s altruistic, volunteer
spirit was heightened,” Cepeda said in a
telephone interview.
Other events outside the blood and food
drives include community clean-ups, hand-crocheted
blanket distribution to the homeless, book
donations to school-aged children, and more.
Weissman said the district office is interested
in quantifying the extent of local giving
as soon as results are available.
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