Long Beach Organizations that Benefit Since our first dinner in November, 2004. Our dinners have raised more than $112,000 in cash and in-kind donations for the non-profits in Long Beach listed below, and more than $15,000 for the special international causes listed at right. Visit progressivedinnerparty.shutterfly.com to view photos from our dinners!
COMPASS, November 2009 COMPASS is the Community of Musicians, Performers, Artists and social Scientists, a small learning community at Millikan High school that collaborates with the Mary Bethune Transitional Center for homeless children in Long Beach.
The Children's Clinic, September 2009 In September of 2009 we raised about $2,000 for The Children's Clinic, an independent not-for-profit that provides quality health care to under-served children, youth and adults, seeing more than 18,000 patients at 56,000 visits last year.
Comprehensive Childhood Development, May, 2009 We gathered on a beautiful, sunny afternoon at the Cabrillo Village location of Comprehensive Childhood Development, to benefit their mission of quality early childhood education and care for hundreds of low income families in the Long Beach area.
Partners of Parks, March 2009 On a beautiful March afternoon we gathered to raise about $2,500 for the Universally Accessible Playground, a Partners of Parks project that will provide children with disabilities a place to play alongside typically-abled children.
The Guidance Center, January 2009 On a beautiful warm January day we gathered to raise about $3,500 (plus $5,000 worth of new Converse shoes!) for The Guidance Center, which provides mental health services to children, teens, and families in the region.
Rising TIDE at the Marguerite Kiefer Education Center, November 2008 For our fourth anniversary dinner (woo hoo!) you helped us raise about $4,000 for Rising TIDE at the Marguerite Kiefer Education Center (MKEC), a non-profit program serving low-income multicultural children and youth in Downtown Long Beach.
Long Beach Organic's Youth Environmental Leadership, Sept. 2008 The $4,000 we raised this month established a Youth Environmental Leadership Team, comprised of North Long Beach junior high and high school students, at Carmelitos Community Garden, located in what once was once a trash-strewn vacant lot near a former crime-ridden housing project.
Long Beach Poly High School's Academic Assist Program, July 2008 We raised about $3,500 to benefit Poly High School's Academic Assist Program, which provides academic counseling for academically-challenged students on the school's basketball team.
Harbour Area Halfway Houses, May 2008 We raised about $3,500 for Harbour Area Halfway Houses, which provides a full spectrum of social services to women who are incarcerated or at risk of incarceration, with a specific emphasis on issues related to substance abuse.
Horace Mann Elementary library, March 2008 In March 2008 we raised $4,000 to purchase books for the school library at Horace Mann Elementary, which is facing a 55% budget cut due to the statewide Education budget cuts. The school's PTO and Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association were important partners for this dinner.
The New City School, January 2008 In January 2008, we raised more than $4,800 in cash and in-kind donations for the arts programs at the New City School, a K-8 public charter school that uses a dual-immersion Spanish-English curriculum that emphasizes the arts, community building, critical thinking and social justice.
Centro Shalom, November 2007 In November 2007, we had a record event! We raised more than $5,100 for Centro Shalom, a Long Beach non-profit that provides support services for new immigrants, homeless people, and the local multicultural and multi-ethnic community.
Operation Jump Start, September 2007 In September 2007, we had another record event! We raised more than $5,000 for Operation Jump Start, a Long Beach non-profit dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth graduate from high school and go on to college.
Family Service, July 2007 In July 2007, we had a record event! We raised more than $4,500 for Family Service, which provides families with counseling services, educational programs, chemical dependency program, and an intern training program.
Excelsus, May 2007 In May 2007, we gathered to raise more than $3,200 for Excelsus, a non-profit organization dedicated to igniting passion for music for children. The money raised will benefit musical scholarship programs for children from low-income families.
Downtown Associated Youth Service Committee, March 2007 DAYS offers a free six-week summer day camp for children 4-14 from the downtown Long Beach area.
On the Day You Were Born, January 2007 Provides children from low-income families with a small family birthday party. OTDYWB works in conjunction with For the Child.
The Freedom Writers Foundation, November 2006 In November, 2006, we raised more than $4,000 for the Freedom Writers Foundation, which promotes tolerance and inclusion in high school classrooms and empowers teachers and under-served students.
Food Finders, Inc., September 2006 Serves as a conduit to provide food for to agencies such as homes for battered women and children, hospices, children's homes and after-school programs. http://foodfinders.org/
Bring Me a Book Foundation, July 2006 Places book libraries in pre-schools, and inspires parents to read with their children. Our dinner funded books for three LB pre-schools in low-income areas. www.bringmeabook.org
Mary McLeod Bethune Transitional Center, May 2006 This dinner was to fund a PeaceBuilders program at this transitional center for homeless children. www.peacebuilders.com
WomenShelter Long Beach, March 2006 Helps end the cycle of domestic violence through intervention, prevention and education. www.womenshelterlb.org
Long Beach BLAST, January 2006 Trains college students as academic mentors to work with K-12 students, and brings enrichment programming to partnering after school programs. www.lbblast.org/
For the Child, December 2005 Provides comprehensive child abuse prevention, treatment for child abuse victims and family-focused mental health services http://forthechild.org
The Guidance Center, October 2005 Provides state-of-the-art assessment and treatment to children and youth with behavioral, emotional, interpersonal, family and school problems www.memorialcare.org/miller/services/guidanceCenter.cfm
Children Today, August 2005 Provides community-based services to children and families experiencing homelessness, fostering long-term family stability and success www.childrentoday.org
Covenant Presbyterian Church After School Education, June 2005 Offers inner-city youth help with homework, recreational opportunities and a tutoring/mentoring program, which also provides a hot meal lang.presstelegram.com/socal/gangs/articles/lbp6_church.asp
Artful Healing, April 2005 Provides artmaking therapy to chronically ill children at Miller Children's Hospital
Mary McLeod Bethune Transitional Center, November 2004 A transitional education center for homeless children
International Organizations
Kigali Girl's School, April 2009 This evening we partnered with JOY Spread the Word to raise funds for a girl's school in Kigali, Rwanda. Click here for more information. Thanks to Patience Salgado for contributing her photos!
Buenos Aires Children's Fund, Feb. '08 BACF finances the food at Volver a Empezar, a small soup kitchen for impoverished children near Buenos Aires.Click here to read more about Volver a Empezar. And click here to view photos from Cari & Eric's visit with the children in August, 2007.
Luz del Mundo, June '07 Devyn Brown, who is the daughter of our Progressive Lenore Brown, traveled to Santa Cruz, Bolivia to volunteer at Luz del Mundo, a home/child minding center, and we raised more than $1,400 for her to give to the center! Watch Devyn speaking about her trip, and view pictures from the center.
Todd Anglin Home for Children, April '07 In April 2007 we raised more than $1,500 for the Todd Anglin Home for Children, an orphanage and protection center in Nicaragua.
House of the Cherubs, June '06 A safe haven for orphaned children in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Click here for more information. Click here to view photos from Cari & Eric's trip there (we can't show the children's faces!).
House of Mercy, April '06 A home for children orphaned by AIDS in Boksberg, South Africa houseofmercy2006.blogspot.com
About the Organizations We Benefit
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead