Hero Elementary Day! Watch this recap of their latest event!

Click here to learn more about The Friends of the Children’s Museum at La Habra.

Strength in Support received a grant for their Three Pillars of Support program.  Funds will be used to offset direct program expenses including technology upgrades for virtual meetings and workshops, PPE and sanitizing equipment as well as salary support for their therapists and staff.  Over 300 people will be served through mental health services, mentoring and workshops.  The mission of Strength in Support is to provide mental health services to military personnel, veterans and their families, including individual and family therapy, mentorship and education to address all areas of our heroes’ wellbeing. Their vision is for every service man, service woman, veteran and their family members to have the mental health services, resources and support they need and deserve.  Strength in Support received a grant from the Leo Buscaglia Foundation in 2018.

The following blog post was written by The Foundation for Living Beauty Board Member, Brenda Smith. Brenda B. Smith is an L.Ac. Licensed Acupuncturist, applied Clinical Nutritionist specializing in Women’s Health and Stress Management and has been in private practice for 19 years in Pasadena.  She wrote this blog for her audience, but the information was so great, that we asked her if we can share it with our audience as well! Read below for Brenda’s post.

So much has happened since I last reached out to you

I have been busy doing several things.

First, I have been on calls and webinars with my colleagues as we try to make sense of all the information that is coming out. I can honestly tell you that I am still not 100% sure of what to think about it all but I can also say with confidence that this is not the time to be consumed by fear. 

I understand that containment is important however, the fact remains that the recovery rate from contracting the virus is still 95-97% and the at-risk population is still older and compromised.

We also know that it is highly contagious and that is what we are trying to control. But understand that this is less about keeping people from catching it. Easily 50% of us will at some point. It’s more about not overwhelming our hospitals because we are unprepared, as a nation, to handle the volume. 

That said, the same rules apply – wash your hands and keep a distance. 

What we are learning in the acupuncture and herbal community is that the virus starts as an irritant in the throat and lungs then continues to move down into the bowels. (Some of the tests being developed are checking for the virus in the stool. These would be home test kits.) The stop in the stomach and digestion creates the fluid that moves up into the lungs. That fluid is what causes the shortness of breath. From our perspective, acupuncture treatment focuses on the lungs and the large intestine, strengthening the immune system, and making sure the stomach and digestive process is moving smoothly. 

The idea that drinking water and flushing it down into your stomach for stomach acid to kill it is not consistent with the bowel issues. Nor is there any evidence that stomach acid can kill a virus. I’m sure many for you have had the “Stomach Flu”. Sounds great but makes no sense. 

That said, we do know that it is vulnerable to heat so drinking warm or hot fluids is preferred to cold ones. It may or may not kill it but it may weaken it. 

I recommend ginger tea. Ginger is hot and spicy and is beneficial for lung health. Too much may upset your stomach, so don’t overdo it. 

From the viral perspective it turns out that the virus itself is not the issue. It produces proteins that are foreign to our bodies and our immune system overreacts causing severe inflammation. Since it enters through the lungs, that’s where the fluid builds up. 

From a nutritional perspective the question has been asked why children don’t seem to be affected. I found the answer to be very interesting. Children naturally have higher levels of melatonin. For years, studies have shown that melatonin reduces lung injury and inflammation. The older we get, the less melatonin we naturally produce. This is another reason why getting rest and proper sleep is so important to overall health. 

Yes, melatonin supplementation is helpful. 3mg or less is fine. 

I hope that you are keeping up with your vitamin D. Notice how the recommendation is that we get outside and get some sunlight. They are emphasizing the importance of vitamin D without actually saying it. Getting outside for 20 minutes is the best but additional vitamin D can’t hurt.  Also, Vitamin C to tolerance. The hospitals in New York are using IV Vit. C and patients are recovering faster. 

My friend and colleague Dr. Dennis Buckley has IV Therapy available in his office, which is near Lake and Washington. It is an IV drip Meyers Cocktail with glutathione. It’s a wonderful treatment to boost the immune system especially for those with chronic health issues. Give him a call, if you are interested and let him know I referred you. The number is (626) 798-7805 

I closed last week because I needed time to sort things out and get a better understanding of how to respond to all this. Some of my colleagues are open and seeing patients, others are not. The good news is that we are considered essential as healthcare providers so it is up to us to make the decision. I will be available to those who feel the need for treatment as long as you have been self-quarantined and feel well. I will open the calendar slowly as things unfold since everything is subject to change at any moment.

In the meantime, be strong and don’t panic. You have heard me say time and time again that stress lowers the immune system. 

Know that I am thinking of you all and praying for your safety. 

Brenda

Click here to learn more about other 2020 recipients.

“We’re celebrating 30 years of social justice, service and community on February 19, 2022 from 3-4PM PST. A pivotal part of this celebration is honoring the very people that have dedicated time, energy, education, piety, and humaneness to our organization. How grand it will be to come back together, share space and time, and bring forward resources to support the continuance of the longest running Episcopal year-of-service program in the country!

Click here to learn more about 2021 recipients.

Beauty Bus testimonial!

MARIBEL -HOME VISIT CLIENT

“Human contact! I was looking forward to contact with other people!”

On a late summer morning, Maribel greeted Beauty Bus Lead Beauty Professional, Elena Vazquez, and Beauty Bus Volunteer, Sybrena Miles with great excitement. As a longtime Beauty Bus client, Maribel knew just what to expect. She  looked forward to getting her neglected nails freshened up and she knew there were goodies to examine in her Bag of Beauty. But the big treat? Maribel was most excited to chat with her visitors.

“I’ve been stuck in the house the last three or four months. The heat makes my condition worse, so it’s very difficult to get out,” she explained. After setting up and settling in, the conversation among the women ranged from the heat, to summer haircuts, family dynamics, old boyfriends, funky genetics, and ants.

Maribel conveyed the challenge facing many people who live with serious illness: isolation. Beauty Bus is proud to support people who are going through a difficult time. There is magic in bringing the outside world in to people who are isolated. We often hear that it makes people feel “more human” and “more normal.” And we think that’s more beautiful!

AYS’ second Concert in the Park with Elemental Music is just two weeks away on Sun. Dec. 5 11:30am! Join AYS’ brass quintet at Santa Monica’s Tongva Park for a 45-minute concert filled with classic holiday tunes. Come early or stay late for Elemental Music’s instrument petting zoo. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3Befh6I

Click here to learn more about American Youth Symphony. 

It seems like yesterday when a small group of parents met to discuss their concerns about rising violence among Costa Mesa’s youth. It was 1992 and the city had just experienced its first drive-by shooting. The parents didn’t want their teens to be drawn into gangs or street life. They met with City Manager Allan Roeder and other city staff to express their concerns. With City Councilman Joe Erickson leading the way, the City agreed there needed to be an alternative to the lure of street life, so they provided space at Rea Center, but it was up to the parents to provide and sustain the program. And so Save Our Youth was born. Share Our Selves acted as an umbrella agency until SOY became incorporated in 1993 and had its own federal tax number.

The parents and some community supporters got to work accumulating donated furniture, computers, pool tables, weights and exercise machines, even mirrors and padded gym flooring as well as a boxing ring to attract the kids. Many teenage boys flocked to the new center and when a Girls’ Program was started teen girls also came. The greatest early lift was an amazing donor who contributed money for over 16years to establish an innovative scholarship program which paid students for good grades and awarded them a grant upon graduating equal to the amount of money they earned during their years at SOY. Almost $2,000,000 were allocated to hundreds of SOY graduates who went on to colleges all over California. They draw the money down as they need it for college expenses.

From that humble beginning, SOY is now a full service organization, as these pages illustrate. Its numerous programs serve almost 400 teens. Because of financial cutbacks, SOY is operating with only two dedicated staff and has had to eliminate much of the scholarship program, but a core of dedicated volunteers and growing numbers of donors are helping to keep the Center open to fulfill its mission of serving Costa Mesa’s youth at risk. SOY is extremely grateful for the community support it has received these past 25 years.

In just 3 minutes, learn how OPICA provides support for older adults with memory loss and their families.

LAHR was founded in 1978 to serve homeless women and children, the majority of whom are victims of domestic violence. Since then, we have grown from a four-bed transitional shelter into four separate shelters with 80 beds, serving more than 180 women and children each year. Recently, Bridge funding has allowed us to extend our service to families with both mother and father, as well as single fathers with children.

Click here to learn more about House of Ruth.