November 2023



Pioneer of BCHD’s Older Adult Program

Written by Sue Murray, Volunteer Spotlight Writer 

Forty years ago, New York-based Marilyn Rafkin moved to the South Bay. She started working at Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) in 1993, a time when there were few initiatives in place to support older adults in the Beach Cities. Amongst her many accomplishments during her time as the Director of Community Care Services, Marilyn developed a rich array of activities and support for older adults. 

The older adults program initially supported around 100 clients. Over the years, Marilyn worked to evolve the activities and support, modernizing it in line with the changing times. Today more than 425 Care Management clients benefit from the wide array of activities and services provided by the BCHD staff and team of invaluable volunteers.  

Since leaving BCHD, Marilyn has helped to evolve the program by volunteering. Marilyn understands the importance of BCHD’s volunteers and believes volunteering can serve a higher purpose. Today, she is retired but still spends a lot of her time volunteering.  

Marilyn has been a Front Desk Volunteer at BCHD’s Center for Health and Fitness (CHF) since 2013. During her time at CHF, she meets and greets visitors, registers guests for classes, answers questions and ultimately gives friendly customer service that so many of the members love. When she’s not traveling the world, reading, listening to music and going to the movies, Marilyn also supports various BCHD events throughout the year. "Volunteering makes us humble and helps us to be part of a positive change in our society.” She continues, “You get to meet diverse, motivated and talented people from all areas of society while supporting community-focused programs.” 

Marilyn would like to see more young people join the volunteer team at BCHD. “Not only is volunteering great to have on their resume but more importantly, it’s a way to gain the skills and experiences needed to build their professional path. Volunteering is a true investment, as it gives everyone peace of mind and happiness.” 

Flu Season is Here

Health experts are forecasting a potential “tripledemic” this fall with the flu, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV. Here is some information on how you can protect yourself from getting one (or more) of these viruses.

Spread Cheer This Year with Holiday Gift Bags 

Beach Cities Health District has kicked off this year’s Holiday Gift Bag project for the 2023 holiday season. Holiday Gift Bags allow the community to support older adults and adults with disabilities in the community, many of whom are homebound and live in isolation. And we need your help! 

Ways to Participate:  

Donate. To fund the Holiday Gift Bag project, we are seeking $9,000 in donations. Make a $25 contribution and receive a card to send to a friend or relative, letting them know that a holiday gift bag has been given in their honor. Make a $100+ donation by December 1 and we will thank you in a local newspaper ad. Make a donation here. 

Deliver a Holiday Gift Bag. Volunteer and deliver cheer to an older adult in the Beach Cities. This opportunity is open to individuals or groups such as families and organizations who would like to deliver gift bags in December. Sign up to volunteer here.

Get Creative. Help color and decorate holiday cards which will be inserted in each holiday gift bag and delivered to our older adult clients.  

For more information, visit bchd.org/holidaygiftbags.  

Department Highlight

allcove Beach Cities 

This month, BCHD will highlight all the great work and programming taking place from this department. Learn more about this program by watching the allcove Beach Cities team present at the October Board of Directors meeting or view the presentation slides. 

allcove Beach Cities Talking Points & Upcoming Events: 

What is allcove Beach Cities? 

• allcove Beach Cities is an integrated youth mental health facility that offers mental health, physical health, substance use, supported education and employment, and peer and family support. 
• Services are open to all youth in the South Bay ages 12 - 25. To date, more than half the visits are residents of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach. 
• allcove Beach Cities has generated $9.3 million in grants in its first year of operation. This includes a $6.3 million grant from the state for the California Department of Healthcare Services’ Behavioral Continuum Infrastructure program for the development of allcove’s permanent home on BCHD’s campus. 
• allcove continues to work with Stanford University and the state to find long-term solutions to address youth mental health and programmatic sustainability in the allcove program by braiding funding opportunities including grants and insurance billing. 

Impact:  

• Since opening in November 2022, there have been more than 4,000 visits to allcove Beach Cities by young people, with more than 430 enrolling in free services.
• Our screenings are finding a high level of acuity—including safety planning, depression, anxiety, early psychosis, substance use, homelessness and intimate partner violence—demonstrating the high need for mental health supports in our community.   

allcove Beach Cities Turns 1! 

allcove Beach Cities will mark its 1st anniversary Saturday, November 18 from 4 - 7 p.m. at allcove Beach Cities. We’ll have live music, an art show and interactive activities. Ages 12-25 and their families are welcome. Register Here. 

Join us at the next BCHD Board Meeting, Wednesday, November 15 at 6:30 p.m. 

All volunteers are welcome to attend Board meetings held on the 4th Wednesday of each month. 

Get information on upcoming meetings and leave public comments on agendas here: https://www.bchd.org/public-meetings.  

Interested in volunteering (getting back to it or taking the next step to volunteer) with BCHD?  See below for what’s currently available and please stay tuned to our newsletters and website as new opportunities arise! If you are or have been a BCHD volunteer or if you have questions, you’re invited to email us at Volunteers@bchd.org.

allcove Assistant –

allcove Beach Cities is a place for young people to take a moment of pause and access a range of services. Volunteers (ages 14+) will support allcove staff at the front desk by greeting guests and tenants, providing tours of the facility as needed, and assist with administrative tasks including filing, supply inventory, data entry, pantry restocking, event preparation and more.

Weekly 3-hour shift commitment for at least 6 months is required.

Brain Buddy: Support Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities 

Volunteers (18+) are matched with older adults and/or adults with memory loss and conduct weekly in-home visits to lead structured activities such as art, music, or games, providing socialization and engagement. Weekly 1-1.5 hour shift commitment. 

Errand Volunteer: Support Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities  

Errand Volunteers (18+) are matched with one of our Care Management clients and do weekly shopping for basic needs like groceries and prescriptions. Weekly 1-1.5 hour shift commitment for at least 3 months required.  

Conversation Companion: Support Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities 

Volunteers (18+) are matched with older adults and/or adults with disabilities to visit and engage in socialization activities such as life review, watching movies at home or in the theater, playing card or board games, taking walks, going for lunch, etc. Weekly 1-1.5 hour commitment. 

Administrative Office Front Desk Volunteer 

Our Admin and Community Services departments are looking for volunteers (18+) to help with telephone coverage; front desk screening of staff and visitors; periodic disinfection of shared spaces; mail and package distribution; badge making; supplies inventory; assembling marketing packets; assisting with Help Desk Ticket tasks and projects. A weekly 4-hour shift commitment regularly is required.   

Campus Greeter  

Volunteers (14+) greet all guests who enter the 514 Prospect Avenue building while also providing general support and customer service duties for the full BCHD campus. Duties include greeting guests and tenants, providing information and referrals to the public, walking visitors to/from medical appointments or allcove Beach Cities upon request, maintaining a clean and orderly area and tracking volunteer hours worked. Must be friendly, helpful and able to push wheelchairs and walk around the campus. Weekly 2- or 3-hour shifts required for one year; scheduling available Monday – Saturday.

*Expected commitment for High School students is a semester or over the summer. 

Event Volunteer Opportunities

It is important for Beach Cities Health District to be out in the community sharing our programs and resources with our residents.  

A Word From Our Community Partner – South Bay Parkland Conservancy 

If you are interested in volunteering directly with the Conservancy, please check out our opportunities here: https://www.southbayparks.org/volunteer-opportunities (Only Wilderness Park and Hermosa Greenbelt are active right now) 

Additionally, the Conservancy hosts guided Nature Walks in Wilderness Park every month. The sign-up is here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4ba5a829a7facf8-wilderness15#/

Please note that BCHD is not involved with these programs and will not be participating onsite. Should you have any questions please contact the SBPC directly at info@southbayparks.org. 

Volunteer Hours



We appreciate the commitment of our community to help others in 2022. We are grateful for the 18,239 reported hours of BCHD volunteer service in 2022. This number includes groceries shopped for, prescriptions picked up, calls made, visits to our older adult clients, Center for Health & Fitness front desk check-ins, committees met, administrative support, intern projects, gardens kept and more. Thank you all! We know BCHD volunteers will continue doing remarkable things in 2023.  

Volunteer Hours to date are:

January 2,333.42 

February 1,535.42 

March 2,169.42 

April 2,185.33 

May 2,524.53 

June 1,811.25 

July 2,337.75 

August 2,337.35 

September 2,135.00 

October 1,965.23 

Total: 21,334.7 Hours 

Volunteer Anniversaries



Thank you to these fabulous volunteers for their years of service! We’re so fortunate to have volunteers who are so committed to making this a healthy beach community! Congrats on your anniversary!  

November 



Jayne Glodowski,15 

Peggy Kramer,12 

Denise Fucci, 9 

Vijay Jeste, 8 

Alex Barkopoulos, 2 

John Rice, 1 

Summer Puterbaugh, 1 

Tristan Lu, 1 

*Official years of service in BCHD system.

Enhance your Cognitive Health through Nutrition: The MIND Diet   

Join Dianne Staso, MS, R.D., as she discusses the MIND diet and how it has been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Dianne will bring an example of a healthy MIND snack to share with attendees and provide them with a recipe to take home. This workshop is part of Beach Cities Health District’s free cognitive health programming. Please visit www.bchd.org/cognitivehealth for more information. 

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Thursday, November 16  

1 – 2 p.m.  

Manhattan Beach Joslyn Community Center  

1601 N. Valley Dr., Manhattan Beach, 90266  

Call 310-802-5430 to reserve your spot. 

Free Movie Screening of “Screenagers: Under the Influence”



BCHD and South Bay Families Connected are partnering with Hermosa Beach City School District and Manhattan Beach Unified School District to host community showings of the documentary, “Screenagers: Under the Influence,” a film that delves into how the tech revolution has reshaped adolescence and its effects on substance use.  

Available Showings 

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Mira Costa High School  

6:30 – 8 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m. 

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Hermosa Valley Middle School 

6 – 7:30 p.m., doors open at 5:30 p.m. 

South Bay students and families are welcome to attend any show. Attendees will have the opportunity to take home a free Narcan (common brand name of naloxone) kit. Naloxone is a life-saving opioid reversal medication when administered immediately after a potential opioid overdose. BCHD’s supply of naloxone is provided by the California Department of Health Care Services’ Naloxone Distribution Project. Space is limited so secure your spot today! 

 Mental Health First Aid Training 



BCHD will host Mental Health First Aid trainings from the National Council for Mental Health. Similar to CPR training, individuals will learn how to provide support to people experiencing mental health challenges. It is an eight-hour training that requires two hours of pre-work and six hours of in-person instruction. At this training, you'll learn how to assess risk factors, provide initial support and connect individuals to professional resources, when needed.   

Friday, December 1 (9 a.m. - 4 p.m.)    

Beach Cities Health District 

1200 Del Amo St.

Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Social Hour with BCHD Care Manager Charlotte Barnett 

If you have a question regarding community resources, want to learn more about Beach Cities Health District or share and learn ways to keep busy, please join us! These meetings are for all, a place to connect and feel heard. 

First & Third Tuesday of the Month, Virtual 

 (November 21 & December 5) 

10 – 11 a.m. 

Zoom link: https://bchd-org.zoom.us/j/87651635014  

2nd Mondays, In person  

(December 11) 

2 – 3 p.m.  

Manhattan Beach Joslyn Center, Sunset Room  

1601 N Valley Dr., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 

Virtual Mindfulness Drop-In

Take 30 minutes to downshift and practice mindfulness techniques. The guided session will be led by a trained Beach Cities Health District instructor.



First Wednesday of the Month

(December 6)

4 – 4:30 p.m.

Virtual Families Connected Parent Chat

Second Tuesday of the Month

(December 12)

10 - 11 a.m.

Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87374623578

The Families Connected Parent Chat is a free monthly support group open to all South Bay parents and caregivers. Provided in partnership between BCHD, South Bay Families Connected and Thelma McMillen Center, the Parent Chat offers its participants a confidential and supportive space to share their parenting challenges and successes. Please note that the Parent Chat is not a therapeutic program, but rather a peer-to-peer support group with educational guidance from a mental health professional.