JUSTIN RUDD'S LONG BEACH GIVING PROJECT

< UPDATED JAN. 15, 2010	JUSTIN RUDD'S LONG BEACH GIVING PROJECT

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MARK TWAIN once wrote: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

MY MOTTO IS "EXPLORE. DREAM. DISCOVER."

I WANT TO Explore, Dream and Discover as much as possible in my life here on earth, and I want my Web sites to empower, equip and incite others to do the same.

I WANT TO help folks to find something new and exciting to do and experience. That's why I formed my charitable organization and named it the "Community Action Team"— a name that I feel encompasses all the varied activities and events that I have (and will continue to) organized for the good of our community.

WHAT CAN I DO to help you explore your potential, make a dream come true or discover new frontiers? I hope to hear from you.

Yours truly,
Justin Rudd!

THE MAIN PURPOSE of the Community Action Team (CAT) is to promote social well-being among the general public. As a 501c3 nonprofit corporation governed by a board of directors, contributions to CAT are tax deductible and are used to help produce quality events within our community that benefit children, animals, and the environment.

C.A.T. IS AN UMBRELLA organization that includes
4Halloween Kids' Costume Contest
4July 4 Kids' Bike Parade
4Haute Dog Poetry Contest
4Interfaith Blessing of the Animals
4$1,000 National Elementary School Spelling Bee
4Nat'l Adult Spelling Bee
4Belmont Shore Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest
4Haute Dogs on the Beach events
4Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade
4Operation Easter Basket
4Operation Santa Paws
45k/10k Long Beach Turkey Trot
4monthly 30-Minute Beach Cleanups
4Beds, Bikes, Bears & Blankets giveaway to those in need
4Clothing giveaways to the underserved
4Bulldog Beauty Contest
4Mom Prom
4All-day Read
4Say, "Cheese" Long Beach 24-hr. digital photo contest
42nd Street Walkers
4Long Beach Giving Project

THE 2010 LONG BEACH GIVING PROJECT will give eight Community Action Team (CAT) volunteers $1,000 each. Justin Rudd, CAT's Exec. Dir., will give them less than two weeks to give it all away. They'll report back to us on Sat., March 27 at 7 p.m.

g INSPIRED BY OPRAH AND IDOL
Rudd's "Long Beach Giving Project" is Giving Away $8,500 in less than 2 Weeks

FOR 14 DAYS leading up to Sat., Mar. 27, Justin Rudd and his nonprofit 501c3 Community Action Team (C.A.T.) are looking to help people in need in the Long Beach area with their "LONG BEACH GIVING PROJECT." Inspired by Oprah's "Big Give" and "Idol Gives Back," Rudd says thousands of dollars in goods and services will be given locally to those who need it most during this 3rd annual project.

NEEDS MET
In previous years, "givers" paid for the following: school uniforms, bus tickets, meal vouchers, prom tickets, baby clothes, gas, sack lunches, Mother's Day cards, scout outfit, art supplies, rent payment, blankets, dance lessons, singing lessons, hygiene items, diapers, shoes, books, electric bill payments, office supplies & lots more.

WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?
Funds for the program are made possible, in whole, by the successes of Rudd's Long Beach Turkey Trot and the Haute Dog Parades.

click: 2009 recap

WINNERS: Colin MacDiarmid and Kevin Nicholson were each awarded $500 more (see bios below)
4With the original $750, Colin purchased a self-inflating sleeping pad for a homeless pregnant woman. He purchased diapers, bottles and shoes for a single non-working mother of 7, living in a one-bedroom apartment with her aunt. He bought car wash supplies for a family’s fundraiser to pay for a family member’s funeral expenses. He purchased a $4 medical prescription. He purchased dinner for 55 homeless at Project Achieve. He purchased diapers and pjs for a single mother living in a woman’s shelter with a one-month old daughter and for unemployed parents with a preemie born at 23 weeks and in the hospital for four months. He purchased Dr. Seuss books for a Dr. Seuss Belated Birthday party for teen parents and their children. He bought and distributed socks and toilet paper at a homeless drop-in center. Colin purchased hair dye and nails for a woman, who once lived on skid row and in the L.A. River bed, in preparation for upcoming job and apartment interviews. Colin purchased groceries for a low-income senior with mobility and health issues. He provided a tank of gas to a mother of eight, one of whom is a teen parent. And with his $250, Colin purchased a playground play set for a family, and their church, whose son was killed in Iraq.

4Kevin (info coming)

2009 JUDGES
Rev. Charles E. Ensley, Jr.
Senior Minister, Bay Shore Church; He is also a member and past president of the Kiwanis Club of Long Beach, and currently serves on its board of directors.

Anthony Gagliardi
chairman of the Steel Magnolias -- supporting the Stramski Children’s Developmental Center, located in Miller Children’s Hospital. The Stramski Center is a special needs center created to help children and families deal with conditions like autism, cleft lip and palate, learning problems, mental retardation, developmental delays and birth defects.

John Molina
Executive Vice President & CFO of Molina Healthcare, overseeing all financial activity including corporate finance, investor relations, accounting, treasury and actuarial functions. Mr. Molina is a member of the boards of directors at the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Long Beach Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Long Beach Community Foundation and the California State University Foundation.

Michelle Molina
President & CEO of PeacePartners -- providing PeaceBuilders violence prevention training, support and partnerships for organizations interested in creating safe and positive environments for children to learn and play. Michelle is the Resource Development chair of Cameo, an auxiliary of the Assistance League of Long Beach, and a board member for Long Beach BLAST. Both organizations create and support mentoring relationships for Long Beach’s youth.

Shirley Wild
founder of the Steel Magnolias; social columnist Long Beach Press-Telegram.

HOW THE MONEY WILL BE GIVEN
Justin Rudd and his 501c3 nonprofit Community Action Team (CAT) will give $1,000 to 8 of their volunteers to give away to others in the Long Beach area with a 14-day time limit. Those 8 volunteers will be referred to as the "givers." In total, $8,000 will be given away by the "givers," and two of them will receive an additional $1,000 to give away as they see fit, as a result of being judged by a panel of former "givers."

2009 GIVERS (see bios below)
4Julie Kim
4Lorraine D'Abate
4Colin MacDiarmid
4Eddie Gonzalez
4Kate Karp
4Lynda Muenzer
4Moses Freyre
4Patti Allen
4REMOVED
4Kevin Nicholson

2009 CONTESTANT BIOS & PHOTOS | RULES

EXAMPLE OF A CONTESTANT'S "GIVE"
lisa woodruff seal beach

(L to R: Contestant Lisa Woodruff, Veronica, baby Sarella & her son Christian)
LISA WOODRUFF WRITES: I contacted the Miller’s Children Hospital to see if any new parents needed some help. A social worker contacted me and told me about Veronica. She is a single mother of a 13-year-old son named Christian. On March 24, she gave birth to a little girl named Sarella. In her 8th month of her pregnancy they found out she had a mass on her spine. When she was born, they discovered a tumor on her head. They removed both masses, but they realized her legs are paralyzed and some of her fingers are partially paralyzed. Veronica brought home the baby last week, with no way to support her as she cannot work right now. She and her children are living with a kind Chinese couple who she met in a laundromat. She needs everything. She has nothing. I asked my friend who speaks Spanish to be my interpreter and she was so moved by her story, she is gathering baby clothes from all her sisters & daughter who had babies last year. She needs special baby formula, diapers, wipes and food. The basics to live on, nothing special. I am moved to tears by the desperation of her need. I bought her those needed things and I also added some basic baby clothes, and a bottle. I then got some rice, beans, bread and juice. When I met her, I found a sweet 13 year old who loves his baby sister & a very confused mother of a disabled newborn. I also found the tiniest, most beautiful baby. I held her, and she just looked at me like she knew me. To see what little they had humbled me. To see the tough road ahead for them worried me. But, to see the love they have for each other encouraged me and gave me hope for them.

2009 Contestant Bios

Patti Allen
is the mom of three grown boys. As they were growing up she was lucky enough to participate in all their activities: PTA (Fremont, Lowell, Jefferson and Wilson), soccer, cub scouts, baseball, golf, and basketball. She owns Arbor By The Bay on 2nd St. and previously owned Holly's Hallmark. She's had a presence on 2nd St. for 26 years and lives just a half block from her store.

4With her $750, Lorraine bought flowers which will be placed on a grave for four months, 18 pair of shoes and clothing for 9 children of 4 families, groceries for a family, paid utility bill for another family, purchased a learning system for a learning disabled boy so that he will learn his numbers and letters.

Lorraine D'Abate
has lived in Long Beach since 1985 and loves this city. She has been involved with many organizations in town, but especially has a heart for anything that involves children. Presently one of the things she loves is her volunteer work in NICU at the hospital as a "cuddler." She single-handedly raised enough money so she and volunteers planted about 500 trees in the Heights area. She had quite a few physical obstacles to overcome in 2008, but she believes we're all in this together "to make life less difficult for each other."

4With his $750, Moses helped pay rent and bought food for a family with three kids and a dad who is medically challenged. For another family he assisted to pay bills, including electric, gas, and phone. He paid for food, phone bills, and utility payments for three additional families. He also helped a mother who is considered a high-risk pregnancy
to get a cell phone with minutes for medical/emergency assistance.

Moses Freyre
was born in Peru, but has lived in L.A. county and South Bay for most of his life. Moses worked for the health department in L.A. for sixteen years; providing resources, education and services to prevent the spread of STDs. Moses is very involved in his community. Moses is active with Friends Without Barriers; a program that provides services to persons infected with HIV/AIDS. Moses works tirelessly to raise funds and awareness for the organizations that he supports. Moses has volunteered with CAT for the past two years. Moses continues to be involved with AIDS walks, AIDS rides, Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals--to name a few, and other organizations that benefit people, animals and the community as a whole.

4 With his $750, Eddie bought kitchen cookware and cooking utensils for someone who had lost her disability income; bought a cube-case drawer organizer for two little girls that had to move in with their grand-mama after their mom was sent to jail; bought 100 toothbrushes and toothpaste for the homeless on our streets; provided food for the local food bank; sponsored new kids books for a library; designed and purchased key rings for a graduation gift that read ''I Am The Future!' for a counseling program for at-risk high school students.

Eddie Gonzalez
was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he grew up as the oldest of 3 brothers and 1 sister. He has called Southern Calif. his home for 12 years. Eddie has worked in the hotel hospitality industry for over 15 years. He has had the pleasure to work for some of the finest hotels in the U.S. including Hilton, St Regis, Four Seasons, and now Hyatt in sales and catering as a Meeting Concierge. He loves to entertain, so it is only fitting that he also works as an Event Services Manager for his good friend's catering company based out of San Clemente. He feels very fortunate to be able to be a part of this Long Beach Giving Project in this current economic climate.

4With her $500, Kate took the shopping list of a woman with MS and bought everything on it as well as laundry detergent, cat litter and soothing body lotion with what was left over; a keyboard and printer ink for a high school senior whose mother is just getting back on her feet, financially; a session with the Geek Squad for laptop memory for a disabled woman who needs the memory for a program for communication with the outside world; a utility bill for a woman who’s just making ends meet; and partial rent on a mobile home space for a gentleman and his family. The man has been out of work and has entered a job-training program. The $250 was an investment for the future: a full nursing wardrobe for an African immigrant who has completed nursing school and who is interning in a senior-care facility. The shoes alone would have been a hardship for her.

Kate Karp
was born and grew up in Paterson, New Jersey and educated in the Bronx, Seattle and Los Angeles. She spent 30 years teaching migrant education, developmental reading and English-language development. After 30 years of teaching children of all nationalities, including North American, to communicate and of correcting the spelling and grammar of her colleagues (which gained her lots of love and unending friendship), she discovered that she could get paid for the latter, got her journalism certificate, and is now a copyeditor for three publications. She also co-writes, with Judy Crumpton, the Pet Post for lbpost.com. As to pets, Kate has always loved animals--her two cats, Woodbine and Mildred, godcats Eugene and Winley, and a number of furry little spirits will attest to that. She has involved herself with animal welfare in Irvine and for the past 10 years with Friends of Long Beach Animals. She likes many people, too, and helps with spelling bees, libraries, and whatever fuels her passion and earns her breathing space on the planet. Kate has often lain abed, dreaming of being a fairy godmother to needy people. The Long Beach Giving Project has given her the opportunity to do just that.

Julie Kim
Is an AP clerk for a construction company. She enjoys giving of her time to volunteer for different causes. She especially enjoys volunteering her time to Justin's causes and is a lead volunteer at the monthly 30-Minute Beach Cleanups. She is honored to have been given the chance to be a part of the Long Beach Giving Project. She lives alone with her cat Curious George. Other than volunteering her time, she enjoys a good book and baking.

Colin MacDiarmid
is a Midwest transplant and has lived in Long Beach for 12 years. He often commutes to work in Carson by bike and spends many early mornings running the bike path on the beach. He is very fond of animals, having a cat and two snakes at home, and was a volunteer at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific for three years. He's also been active with the Community Action Team at beach cleanups, dog events and running events.

Kevin Nicholson
A Chicago native, Kevin moved alone to Long Beach when he was 19 to pursue his education and a better life. He has lived in Belmont Shore for the past 20 years, and truly values its strong sense of community. Many people in Belmont Shore know him as being the owner of Louis, the tiny 3.5 pound Yorkshire Terrier that follows him along Second St. After graduating from CSULB, Kevin started his own real-estate appraisal and consulting business, and has been doing so for 14 years. However, he may find himself embarking on a new career as he has just applied to CSULB to get a master's degree in school counseling. He is currently being trained as a Life Care Counselor through Rock Harbor Church, and is in on the leadership team for The Long Beach Project, a new Long Beach church plant. His volunteer work has included building houses for the poor in Mexico, Big Brother's of Greater Los Angeles, serving at the Long Beach Rescue Mission, participating in the Beach Cleanup, and the Padua House, a transitional home located in Long Beach for people living with HIV/AIDS, where he organizes activities and promotes a sense of caring and community amongst the residents. Kevin is a strong believer in the importance of community and uses his love of beach volleyball to organize games every Sat. in Belmont Shore to promote unity . . . please join him!

4Lynda's big spend of $250 was spent on a meal of chicken enchiladas, rice, beans, salad, ice tea and brownies which ended up feeding 158 homeless people at the Christian Outreach building on 3rd St.. The rest of the money ($500) bought a Grad Nite ticket for a well-deserving male student at Wilson High, a cell phone for a struggling college student, exercise balls and bands, Easter baskets, and 22 first aid kits for the Senior Citizen Center on Martin Luther King Blvd., new books for the Playroom at Miller’s Childrens Hospital, Peanut butter and jelly and new gameboards for the Marguerite Kiefer Education Center, and a $100 toward the water and gas bill of a couple who were out of work due to an on the job injury and a recent diagnosis of cancer.

Lynda Muenzer
A Long Beach native, Lynda believes the "Purpose of life is a Life of Purpose". A career in education has always seemed purposeful. Lynda considers travel one of the best educations but also holds three different teaching credentials and has taught Technology at Kettering Elementary School for the last 11 years and prior to that mostly taught Health, P.E., and or Technology at Wilson High. She even met her amazing husband, Bob, also a teacher, while substitute teaching at his school. Their three active children provided many opportunities for volunteerism, and some of the best moments of Lynda's life. Lynda has also been a fitness instructor for almost 30 years, in the beginning, for cruise lines and for the Belmont Athletic Club since its opening in 1980. In 2003 Lynda represented Long Beach as a Goodwill Ambassador in Yokkaichi, Japan, Long Beach's sister city. She is the biggest fan of the show, Amazing Race, and would do anything to be a participant! She shares Justin's love for the city of Long Beach especially since her mother, Carole White, was the first Miss Long Beach in 1950.

2008 Contestant Bios
BETH BARNES
is a third generation Long Beach resident raised as the fourth child of Arch and Annemarie Forster. She credits her mom and dad for her giving and caring attitude. They never missed a chance to give of their time, their efforts or their financial blessings; the perfect role model for six children. Her mother is still in Long Beach and still giving. Beth left Long Beach after graduating from Wilson to attend the University of San Francisco. On her 30th birthday she sold everything, exchanged a career for one backpack and set off to experience life far from the privilege she'd enjoyed. She traveled solo for 13 months around the world, favoring developing countries and remote regions to the glitz and glamour of the tourist destinations. She married an Englishman in the 13th month of her travels and had two beautiful daughters. After 12 years in England, she and her children returned home with three suitcases and great uncertainty. As part of the Giving Project Beth celebrates Long Beach and keeps the giving tradition alive in honor of her daughters and her parents, all of whom she credits as her greatest role models.

Lisa Bland Long Beach Giving Project Belmont Shore 4With her $500, Lisa purchased groceries, household cleaning supplies, and diapers for a family with an infant son; printer ink for Precious Lamb Preschool, serving homeless/indigent children; paid for spa visits for 10 residents of Alamitos Belmont Rehabilitation Hosp.; made a medical visit co-pay for a Long Beach parole officer who suffered a heart attack and is no longer able to work; helped pay for a transcriber for the Long Beach/Lakewood Hearing Assoc.; gave toiletry products to homeless shelter women.

LISA BLAND
She is a single mom to a 23-year-old daughter and her 6-year-old Boxer, King-Jake! Although born in Wichita Falls, TX, and raised all over the world, Southern California is considered her home, as she has spent most of her early childhood in West Covina and San Pedro. She is a true believer in living a life of integrity and giving. She thinks this is most likely her genetic coding as her mother is a retired high school teacher, who continues to devote her time to volunteer and community efforts; her father was an executive for the Boy Scouts of America who spent much of his career facilitating and providing scouting opportunities to inner city youth. Thus, community activism for the greater good has always been a part of her life; from food collection for the poor, raising money for AIDS/HIV awareness, breast cancer walk-a-thons, family assistance for displaced Katrina victims and volunteering with charitable organizations, are just to name a few. She has been in healthcare for 27 years and has worked in sales, program development, care planning, education, and business development – and has been a licensed Occupational Therapist for 12 years -- involved in every aspect of patient care.

NANCY BUCHANAN
She is the proud mom of David and Tanya and the loving owner of Truffles, her dog. At an early age, her mom taught her and her twin brother to give back. They were given money to donate to UNICEF at Christmas. That influenced her, and she is proud that both of her children give back. She rented in Long Beach before purchasing 12 1/2 years ago. She has worked in Long Beach at the VA in cardiology research, Long Beach Memorial's Health Promotion Department and the Career Transition Center. To her, it's about wellness and fitness and helping people live a more productive and healthy life-helping people help themselves. Recent volunteer involvement with CAT includes being Long Beach coordinator of Operation Santa Paws the last three years; Operation Easter Basket; Haute Dog Parades; 30-Minute Beach Cleanups; Turkey Trot and Grunion Run races; 4th of July Kids Bike Parade; Father/Daughter Dance. Other volunteer efforts include the 26.2 Club-Long Beach Marathon; Breast Cancer Angels; Jonathan Jacques Children's Cancer Center relay run; Belmont Shore Residents Association board member; Belmont Shore Business Association volunteer; Helped neighbor with Food Finders collection. Past volunteer involvement includes Habitat for Humanity; Holiday dinner on Pine at Mum's; Holiday dinners and toy collections at the Career Transition Center.

4With his $500, Michael served and sponsored a lunch for volunteers, families, and residents of Padua House -- a residential care facility for those with HIV/AIDS; gave a shopping spree to a friend going through chemotherapy that was not fitting into clothes because of a herniation; bought award ribbons for the LB middle school intramural finals; purchased art supplies for 42 children in the LB Arts Council 3rd grade inner city arts program; bought role playing uniforms for Precious Lamb Preschool to help students set goals and build self esteem.
4Michael on Facebook
4Michael's blog

MICHAEL DAY
is an extern chiropractor and exercise physiologist at the Advanced Wellness Center. He is inspired daily seeing individuals in the Long Beach community reach their health and wellness goals and return to the lives and activities they love. Michael has made it his future mission and goal to gather the community with inspired health practitioners to one day make Long Beach the healthiest city in the U.S. He is honored to be a part of the Long Beach Giving Project and has been challenged and inspired by the artistry of Justin Rudd's giving in the community. Michael and his wife Lael are natives of West Virginia and moved to Calif. so that he could shadow with the top holistic practitioners of the alternative medicine professions and fell in love with the coast and the culture. Michael enjoys travel and has volunteered in the Sudan and Jamaica doing service work. He is an avid surfer and has interned at the U.S. Open of Surfing and Boost Mobile Pro, the Super Bowl of U.S. surfing. Whether through the art of painting, giving, loving, drumming, writing, or holistic medicine, Michael loves to live his life as an art piece displayed to his Creator.

BRAD GEROW
is a region business director for a pharmaceutical company, as well as a registered pharmacist by education. He is constantly motivated to do more to improve the lives of those people in Long Beach & Los Angeles that are struggling to live productive lives. Brad not only volunteers and gets involved in community service in Long Beach, but he also assist friends in Los Angeles that regularly go to Skid Row in Downtown LA to prepare and serve food for those less fortunate. He recently started working with a new company which has required that he be in Georgia for two weeks of this contest, however he is still very committed to making an impact in Long Beach through his 'Long Beach Kindness, Pass It On' project. Brad has only lived in Long Beach for four months and has jumped right into helping make Long Beach a better place for all to call home. He recently moved back to California from New Jersey where his job took him for career advancement opportunities. He is originally from Michigan, but earned his pharmacy degree at the University of Oklahoma and has also lived in New Jersey, Georgia and Nebraska. Brad enjoys travel, volunteering, physical fitness, sports and being around friends and family.

4 With her $500, Jennifer bought new walking toys for Phases preschool to help the kids with special needs; bought a tricycle for the kids in the developmental program at Tichenor Orthopedic Clinic; bought school uniforms and under garments for the students at Fremont Elementary School; purchased office supplies and started a fundraising web page for Partners in Parks; helped fund an eBay store for the Historical Society of Long Beach to promote their Miss Universe photo collection. With the remaining $4.77 she started her fundraising page for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and their walk.
4Jennifer on Facebook

JENNIFER GONZALEZ
has worked for Southern Calif. Gas Company since 2002. As Public Affairs Manager, she is responsible for representing the Gas Company to twelve Orange County cities such as Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, Westminster, Newport Beach, Seal Beach and Cypress. Jennifer currently serves on a variety of Chamber of Commerce boards including Westminster, Garden Grove, and Costa Mesa. Jennifer also serves on the board for Coastline Community College Foundation. She plays an advisory role on the Asian Business Association of Orange County and the Groundwater Replenishment Program. Prior to coming to the Gas Company, Jennifer garnered city government experience with both the City of Anaheim as well as the City of Pasadena. Jennifer managed public relations efforts for the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau during the $4.2 billion renovation of the Anaheim resort. She also served as Marketing and Communications manager for a small economic development firm that promoted the Alsace region of France. Jennifer earned both her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and a Master's Degree in Communication from San Diego State University where she also taught public speaking. She still teaches communication courses on occasion through Coastline Community College.

JANET HIGLEY
Wife mother daughter and friend. Wife to Marc for almost 26 years. Mother to Ian (25) Eric (23) Alex (19) Tessa (18) and Frank (10). She loves her three dogs and cat. She loves being a wife and mother. She is an only child. She talks to her mom every day. She loves people. Her daughter is her hero. She is Director of Marketing for Chick-fil-A. She like quotes, words, Oprah, red and yellow, sunflowers and country music. She likes going to church. She likes Sunday family dinners. She likes to eat breakfast every day and read the newspaper. She likes pictures and always takes a picture when all her kids are together. She likes to read, scrapbook, watch TV, organize, rearrange and collect. She still talks to her friends from elementary school. She likes the duck pond and warm sunny days. She likes to lay in bed on cold, rainy days. She thinks she is funny. She knows she is smart. She has passion. She is a good listener. She has strong opinions and beliefs. She has hope. She has faith. She believes in miracles. She knows anything is possible. She loves deeply. She loves life. She loves God.

SAMUEL LIPPKE
is a photographer. His weeks are spent photographing fashion campaigns, shooting high-end weddings and showing his work at art shows. Samuel has traveled much of the world and has focused on creating awareness on AIDS in South Africa. Samuel was a first responder to the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 and is continually contributing to the community of Long Beach through his "Bodies, Bicycles and Backpacks" -- a monthly "Feed the Homeless" campaign. Another recent photo trip Samuel took was to Havana, Cuba, to explore and experience the mysterious Caribbean country. Helping others with his many resources is a passion that he continually exercises. Samuel believes that we are all called to help our fellow man, and he constantly puts himself in someone else's shoes, trying to identify with the young, the old, the struggling, the poor and hungr. Surviving with little to no money in a third world country has prepared him for life with resources and a heart to serve. SAMUEL'S BLOG & PHOTOS

4Debi paid a utility bill for a struggling single mom; paid for a captioner for the Hearing Loss Assoc.; bought feminine hygiene products for their "Christmas in July" event; she purchased and dontaed Bibles to Precious Lambs preschool for homeless and low income families; had a computer put together for a family in the Christian Outreach in Action women's transitional home so that the mother could further her education.

DEBI MILLER
She is first, and most importantly, proud to be the mother of a 24-year-old daughter, Kelsey and a 23-year-old son, Kyle. She is also lucky to be a grandmother of an eight-month-old grandson, Brody. She is a self-employed consultant specializing in QuickBooks software, bookkeeping, office efficiency, small office and home organizing. She is also a Wedding Director and the Chairman of the Worldwide and Homeland Missions Commission of Bay Shore Community Congregational Church in Long Beach. She believes in living by example, teaching children to think for themselves and be accountable, responsible and caring for others as they would like to be treated themselves. She is energized, moved and grateful to be involved in the Long Beach Giving Project as helping those in need is her passion. It is her motto to make a difference in the lives of others each day, no matter how small. She believes we can change the world one day at a time, one person at a time, and it starts within each of us.

4 With his $500, Ralph paid for an assistant for event organizer Justin Rudd during the April 27 Belmont Shore Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest; he helped a college student pay on a student loan; helped send some Boys & Girls Club kids to summer camp; gave away copies of the DVD "Pay It Forward"; delivered blankets to homeless kids
4Ralph on Facebook

RALPH MILLERO
Ralph's Dad always told him, "Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but takes you nowhere." Passionate about life and always seeking new experiences, willing to take chances, and not giving up till he succeeds, Ralph set out for his future. Completing graduate studies in Virginia, he moved to Hollywood. He has had the great fortune of working with some of the top directors, producers, and actors in the film industry. Selena, A Civil Action, Cold Mountain, The Interpreter, and Michael Clayton are just a few of the films that taught him the film industry. Mirage Enterprises has served as his home in this business for the last ten years, and Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella are his mentors. His connections in the business led him to Paul Newman and his organization The Hole in the Wall Gang. This charity that is the benefactor of Newman's Own products serves a camp for terminally ill children. It is a life-changing opportunity for him to dedicate his time to assist these inspiring kids in summer activities. He continues to explore, dream and discover in Long Beach with his family -- Justin, Rosie and Riley.

4 With her $500, Amy gave bedding to a family transitioning from a homeless shelter to their own apartment; gave a 2nd grade Brownie a campership to go to two camps this summer; gave Precious Lamb, a homeless/transitional preschool, Christian books, DVDs and CDs; gave a family whose home burned down, dishes, pots & pans, sheets, blankets and other household items; gave a new Brownie troop art supplies and leader books to start their troop.

AMY MORIN
grew up in Southern California, the eldest of three children, going to the beach, playing soccer and participating in Girl Scouts. She came to Long Beach almost 30 years ago to attend Calif. State University, Long Beach where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communications and Interpersonal Relations. She was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority where she served as secretary, social chairman and rush advisor. During college, she worked for the LBUSD as a classroom aide for students with learning disabilities. Her senior year of college she spent a semester attending the University of London, traveling to Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy. After college she worked at Neiman Marcus where she met her husband, Marc, and they have been married for 20 years. They live in Belmont Shore with their 8-year-old daughter Lindsey and their wheaten terrier Higgins. Lindsey attends Lowell Elementary where Amy volunteers in her classroom and for the past four years has led her Girl Scout troop. She has worked part time for a dermatologist at St. Mary's Medical Center for almost 20 years....a job she will never leave due to the fact her boss keeps her looking young.

4With her $500, April bought a bus pass for a volunteer at the Long Beach Aquarium; bought baby clothes for a young mother expecting her third child who is living in a home for unwed mothers; purchased a skill saw for Wilson High School's construction class; purchased a reading program for the Long Beach Public Library; bought breakfast for Project Achieve -- the homeless shelter in Long Beach; helped send a 10-year-old autistic girl to summer camp.

APRIL RIVAS
a 2nd generation Long Beach native, has resided in the Belmont Shore area for 25 years with her husband, Larry. Every week, April delivers clothing to local charities. She solicits donations of household items for the Long Beach Public Health nurses. April is a dedicated member of the Community Action Team. She is project coordinator of Operation Easter Basket, which provides more than 1,500 baskets to underserved children of Long Beach. April became a member of the Catholic Church in 1996, where she has acted as a youth leader for confirmation candidates and has served meals to the poor of inner-city Los Angeles. For the last 18 years, April, a stay-home mom, has divided her time between her three children at three different schools; Jacqueline at Calif. State University Long Beach, Oliver at Woodrow Wilson High School, and Meredith at Lowell Bayside Academy. Throughout her children's years of education, she has been a helper in the library, the classroom and at every annual carnival. April never misses a chance to cheer her kids on at their wide-ranging activities, from skateboard competitions, theatrical performances, and Girl Scout meetings. When April can get a rare moment to herself, she enjoys collecting beach glass, constructing giant rubber band balls, and traveling on her favorite airline, Express Jet.

LILIANE ROY
emigrated from France and has lived in the U.S. for the last 25 years. She is a nurse RN and a Public Health nurse PHN, and will be graduating with a dual master's degree in May 2009 in Nursing Science and in Public Health (MSN/MPH). She is involved in the City of Long Beach as an intern for a gang prevention and violence reduction program called the Weed and Seed Program. She is also involved with C.A.T. and volunteers for Justin's multiple activities. She is a runner as well and participant in Justin's Sand Challenge classes. She is a volunteer for the American Red Cross as a nurse, and she belongs to the Long Beach Medical Reserve Corps. She enjoys traveling abroad, spending time with her son and follows his basketball dreams. She enjoys reading, running, spending time with friends and helping others. She wants to live her life to the fullest with adventure, honesty, and enthusiasm, while being a leader for her son, and contributing to her family's well being. To be passionate, helping the less fortunate by working in an international setting to alleviate suffering and offer solutions. Give back to her community by being a volunteer and a local leader. To provide a climate of calm, respect, wisdom and change to her family and friends. To leave a legacy of strength and achievements addressed to others in need.

andy vaca, long beach, calif. justin rudd 4With his $500, Andy sponsored two Cabrillo High School dancers to attend the Masters of Dance Seminar at Cal State Long Beach; bought new ballet shoes, jazz shoes, and leotards for two very talented dancers at Renaissance High School for the Arts, and gave a dance scholarship for another; replaced a pair of ballet shoes and paid for ballet classes at Long Beach Ballet Arts; bought a new sweat jacket for a dance teacher who recently lost her husband to cancer, in order to remind her how inspirational she is to all of her students; bought a package of mini-DVDs for a dance student from Brazil at CSULB who needed them in order to share her work with her mother who is in the hospital recovering from cancer.

ANDY VACA
Eclectic, yet serious training has been at the core of Andy Vaca's artistic life since he started playing the violin in the 4th grade. He is currently an Assistant Professor and the Assistant Department Chair of the CSU Long Beach Dance Department where he teaches numerous movement and theory courses. His dance career began in Sacramento with the Jazzworks Dance Company, and took him to L.A. where he earned an M.F.A. in dance from UCLA. Andy assisted Tony Award winner Twyla Tharp, and later danced with the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Keith Johnson/Dancers, Bodytalk, and Roman Dance Theatre. Andy's wide range of concert and sports team choreography has been danced by the Nannette Brodie Dance Theater, the L.A. Clipper Girls, the L.A. Laker Girls, the Boston Celtic Dancers, and has been presented at the Dance Under the Stars Festival in Palm Desert. Last fall, Andy choreographed the Thanksgiving Day halftime show for the Detroit Lions featuring the Goo Goo Dolls that was telecast nationally on FOX-TV. Andy has volunteered for a wide array of C.A.T. events since moving to Long Beach in 2002, and is thrilled to be a part of the Long Beach Giving Project.

LISA SACHIKO WOODRUFF
Due to her mother's Japanese heritage, Lisa has her first name as her middle name. It means "girl full of happiness." Lisa is told she smiles a lot. She has always embraced her mixed heritage. She is 44 years old, but feels 15 on the inside. She is an only child. She was born and raised in Long Beach, but spent most of her summers in Japan. She graduated from CSULB with a BA in Speech Communication. She married her hair stylist and then became a hair stylist a couple years later. They own their own hair salon on Main St. in Seal Beach. Their hair styles have been published nationally & internationally. She has been married to her husband Woody for 19 years. They have 2 four year olds, Mochi & Olive. They are pugs. They currently live in Huntington Beach. Her hobbies are photography and anything that has to do with her pugs.

2009 RULES

- The giving should be done in the Long Beach area.
- Givers will receive $750 in cash.
- With the first $500 we give you, no more than $100 can be given to any one person. You are encouraged to give the remaining $250 to one person.
- Cash, traveler's checks, gift cards and such cannot be given. Rather, contestants must make purchases for goods and/or services and then make presentations to recipients.
- No more than $100 (except for the $250 gift discussed above) can be given in one place.
- No more than $100 (the $250 gift discussed above is the only exception) can be spent in any one place.
- Contestants will receive their $750 cash approx. Mar. 13.
- The giving is to humans only.
- The purpose of the project is to give, give responsibly and give with purpose.
- Any remaining cash not spent or given away must be given back to the organizers.
- You may not supplement the $750 we give you. (i.e. you cannot give an extra $25 of your own money on top of your $100 giving from CAT)
- We do encourage you to spend/give all $750.
- We do not encourage you to try to fundraise above the $750 we give you.
- We do not encourage you to solicit or give products or services beyond the $750 we give you.
- The judges' decisions will place an additional $500 in the hands of two winners, to be given away any way the winners please within one month.
- Judging is based on: leadership, accomplishments, creativity, presentation of your giving to those in need, and resources to generate the most powerful and sensational ways to make real differences to those in the Long Beach area.

WHAT ELSE DOES C.A.T. DO?
Details about the Community Action Team C.A.T. and their more than 32 annual Long Beach events and projects are at www.JustinRudd.com.

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Think of giving not as a duty, but as a privilege.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
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We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
Winston Churchill
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5 BACK TO TOP OF PAGE

	XHAUTE DOGS
	Haute Dogs - Home Page Interfaith Blessing of the Animals - An annual fall tradition to bless our pets Dog Beach Zone! - Daily, off-leash, unfenced, 3-acre beach in Long Beach Haute Dog Easter Parade - As seen on Jay Leno.

	X OPERATION EASTER
	Operation Easter Basket - Springtime baskets filled with school supplies, hygiene items, art supplies, socks, underwear, toys and candy. More than 1,500 baskets are collected and distributed annually to underserved kids.

	X CHALK ART
	Belmont Shore Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest - High schoolers, college students and adults will use chalk as their medium and 2nd Street sidewalks as their canvas.

	XABOUT JUSTIN!
	Who is this guy?! - Justin Rudd!, Long Beach Giving Project & $1,000 Nat'l Adult Spelling Bee founder & organizer Justin Rudd's Bulldogs - See Rosie & Riley photos, paintings, poems and journal entries Justin Rudd Photography - People and pets on the beach Contact Justin@JustinRudd.com

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I AM A FIRM BELIEVER in the collective power of individuals joined in a spirit of goodwill and generous giving to bring about the success of a community.
Justin Rudd!
........

XLong Beach Giving Project

by Jessica Selva

Samuel Lippke had known 67-year-old Heather Hamm for less than an hour, but on Wednesday afternoon, he was already helping the woman pick clothes off the racks at Loehmann’s in Long Beach.

After Hamm, who has multiple sclerosis and dementia, switched to a new medication and gained 50 pounds, each day became a battle with her wardrobe.

She needed new clothes, but she didn’t have the money. That’s when Lippke, a 22-year-old freelance photographer, stepped in.

At the cash register, he paid for a blouse, two pairs of pants, two pairs of underwear and a bra. The bill came out to $98.44, just under his $100 limit.
Lippke had just completed his second “give.” He was one of the 15 participants in the Long Beach Giving Project, a community giving contest that started three weeks ago. He had until Saturday night to finish using the rest of his allotted $500.

“That’s going to just help out so much because I just had a terrible time getting dressed in the morning,” Hamm said.

Lippke was competing to be the most effective giver, and he won. Some of his other gives included buying lunches for the homeless and piano lessons fora 9-year-old girl whose brother and grandfather recently passed away.

Altogether, the group of contestants gave out $7,500 in gifts. An additional $1,000 was awarded to Lippke, who will use the money for more for more giving.

The project was yet another community service event put on by one of Long Beach’s most popular community activists—Justin Rudd. The six-foot-one Long Beach resident, originally from Alabama, is the founder and director of a nonprofit organization called the Community Action Team, through which Rudd hosts about 38 annual community events. Last year, LBPost.com recognized Rudd as “2007 Person of the Year.”

This year, the environmentalist and dog enthusiast who lives in the Belmont Shore area, is continuing with his usual projects—monthly beach cleanups, dog parades and beauty contests, national child and adult spelling bees, weight loss contests—and he has added a few new ones as well.

Rudd’s most recent is his giving project. It was a plan inspired by Oprah Winfrey’s “Oprah’s Big Give,” a reality television show in which contestants compete to give away hundreds of thousands of dollars in life-changing ways. On the show, contestants are judged on their giving and eliminated as the episodes progress.

Rudd decided to hold a Big Give of his own. It started after a missed opportunity last summer to audition for the show. He heard that there were going to be auditions in Los Angeles and wanted to try out, but vacation plans interfered. Friends had emailed him, telling him he would be perfect candidate, and he agreed.

“It’s right up my alley, being resourceful, being creative, and I think I’d do really well on the show,” he said.

Rudd watched “Oprah’s Big Give” when it later aired, and as the season approached its ending, he had an idea—why wait for the show to hold its next auditions? Why not create a Big Give of his own?
That was about a month ago. A week after coming up with the idea, Rudd contacted some of his regular volunteers to see who was willing to participate. The contest began on April 20 the day of the finale of “Oprah’s Big Give.”

It ended on Saturday night at Bayshore Community Congressional Church where contestants shared their stories and were judged on their giving decisions by a panel of philanthropists before their family, friends and community volunteers.
The rules were simple. No more than $100 could be spent on one person, family or organization. No more than $100 could be spent in one place or from one vendor. All the giving had to be done in the Long Beach area. And participants could not simply give cash. They had to spend the money on specific needs or goods that would be given directly to recipients. The contestants were judged on their levels of creativity and effectiveness.

At the start of the last week of giving, full-time mother and contestant Beth Barnes obsessed over her gives. She had plans but still had to take some action, and the pressure was building. The next couple of days would be very busy, she said.
But by Thursday, Barnes was at Ability First, a Long Beach care center for disabled children and adults. Completing her third give, Barnes stood in a hallway with her two teenage daughters as she handed a 9-year-old autistic boy a gift bag full of surprises.

The boy, who a facility caregiver said comes from a financially struggling family, received a giant Sponge Bob-shaped pillow, a fuzzy blanket, a Sponge Bob DVD set and a T-shirt. The items were chosen from his wish list.

Some contestants said the most challenging part of the project was the financial limitation, especially since they were not allowed to fundraise or accept donations like contestants on “Oprah’s Big Give.”
“A hundred dollars is great, but it’s not life-changing,” said contestant April Rivas, who is a Long Beach Airport sales agent. “I was trying to really think of things that would keep giving beyond maybe the day they were received.”
Rivas ended up using her funds to partially sponsor a Down syndrome child for summer camp. She also bought a Jigsaw tool for a construction class at Woodrow Wilson High School and groceries for a Catholic church’s homeless meal program.

According to Rudd, the challenge was all part of the project.

“It’s not easy, and I don’t want it to be easy,” he said. “The idea is that it’s diverse—the giving is diverse—and that they don’t go to one person’s house with five people living there and give them all $500 worth of groceries. That would be too simple. I want them to see many areas of giving.”

Rudd said his goal was to create a pattern of giving that extends beyond the event.

“I’d like for this to be the start of a movement—a giving movement,” he said. “And I hope that the contestants and the people that find out about it will begin to give more freely on a day-to-day basis. I don’t want it to happen just once a year.”

Rudd funded the giving project through two of his organization’s charity events, the Long Beach Turkey Trot and Haute Dog Easter Parade.

His decision to do the project came as no surprise to those who know the blue-eyed 38-year-old who speaks in a calm demeanor and a Southern accent.

Rudd is known for his extensive involvement in the community. He was the leading force in opening the Dog Zone, a leash-free area for dogs at the beach in the Belmont Shore area. It is Los Angeles County’s only dog beach, according to the Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine Web site.

Rudd approached city leaders and rallied community support to get the beach idea passed. He led a one-year pilot program for daily leash-free dog access starting in 2003. The Dog Zone was finally approved by the city council in 2004.

“There is no one that does what Justin Rudd does,” said City Councilman Gary DeLong, who represents the 3rd District, which includes the Belmont Shore area. “There are a lot of things that you look at and scratch your head and say, ‘I don’t think that’s going to work,’ but he figures out how to make it work and it does.”

Because of his community work, friends and others in the area prodded Rudd to run for City Council in 2006. He entered the race against Councilman DeLong but dropped out a few weeks later, deciding the position would take away too much time from his activities.
“I feel blessed to be able to do what I’m doing, and I like what I’m doing,” Rudd said.

Instead, Rudd is employed by his organization and also works as a personal fitness trainer and a coach for beauty pageant contestants. He distributes a gay and lesbian e-mail newsletter, as well as an e-mail newsletter for dog-owners.

Rudd’s first event was nine years ago—a beach cleanup that he started with a group of his exercise friends after spotting trash on the sand during a run. It grew by word of mouth and advertising on his Web site, and the cleanups have continued since then. Eventually, more events entered the picture and more community members got involved.

Rivas, a giving project contestant who has volunteered with Rudd since his first beach clean-up, said she is amazed at how he draws people into his enthusiasm for the events.

“I always laugh. I say, ‘Justin can make me do anything,’” Rivas said, noting that he got her to compete against him in a cotton-candy eating contest at an event last weekend.

She also said he has certain qualities that make the Long Beach Giving Project and other events successful.

“I think one of the ways Justin is a very powerful leader is that he doesn’t micromanage things. He lets people do what they’re going to do and he has a great faith in them.”

For Rudd, his success comes in knowing when to say yes.

“I think that God just puts ideas in our heads and in our hearts,” Rudd said. “Sometimes, we say, ‘No, I’m not going to do that right now.’ But… when something’s on my heart and it’s heavy, I try to say, “There’s a reason.’”

donate to the Community Action Team's Long Beach Giving Project

YOU CAN GIVE NOW
Click the link on the left to enable us to help grant another wish. Whether you give $5 or $500, it will feel good. Additionally, those wishing to help fulfill these local needs with financial or in-kind support may contact Justin@JustinRudd.com.

Donations to the Community Action Team are tax deductible.