The mission of Heart of Ida: To help older adults preserve independence as long as possible and provide cheer when assisted living is necessary. Heart of Ida runs its programs out of the Long Beach Senior Center in Rose Park. It collaborates with the CSULB Center for Successful Aging, Meals on Wheels Long Beach, and the L.A. Falls Prevention Coalition to provide free bi-weekly phone messages for seniors, their families, and caregivers.

There is also a social phone calls program to keep people connected and thriving. (Volunteers welcome!) Other programs include help with animals, gift cards and supplies at the holidays, AgeWell Long Beach Resources, fall prevention programs, and more.

Heart of Ida was founded by Dina Berg and Keri Reich (member Connie Rich’s daughters) in honor of their activist grandmother, Ida Alice Reich. When Dina and Keri were growing up, their grandmother regularly took them to nursing homes to visit and deliver gifts, inspiring a lifelong love of service. Be sure to check out their Web site at heartofida.org.

The social justice collection is taken on the second Sunday of each month, but you can support the monthly special collection by donating until the last Sunday of the month and marking your check with “Social Justice Collection.”

Mail your check to UUCLB, 5450 E. Atherton Street,
Long Beach, CA 90808

You can also give to the social justice collection using
Text-to-Give: Text message the words: “20 Social Justice
Collection” to 833-931-1845.

To give $20, for example, text “Social Justice Collection” after your gift amount, like this:

“20 Social Justice Collection $20.”

Pro Tip: to cover any convenience fees for the church, you can say:
“20 Social Justice Collection cover”, or simply text: “Cover fees on” to cover fees on ALL text gifts.

Gifts sent with no designation just go to the regular offering.
For online giving go to www.uuclb.org/give.