South Bay Credit Union Volunteers at Community Garden

South Bay Credit Union (SBCU) teamed up with Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) to participate in this year’s annual garden clean up event on August 11. Team members of the credit union volunteered alongside residents of the South Bay to clean up one of the Beach Cities Health District’s school gardens, located at Birney Elementary in Redondo Beach. The garden is used to grow various vegetables and fruits; and is a staple in the South Bay due to its strong sense of inclusivity and healthy practices.

During the event, SBCU employees were named “Garden Angel Volunteers” by directly assisting students present with cleaning, gardening and picking produce. There, students and volunteers got to learn more about the farm-to-table practice, and how to grow and properly maintain their own gardens.

When asked why it is vital for the local financial institution to be involved in the community, President and CEO of South Bay Credit Union Paris Chevalier said, “Volunteering to help the community is close to our hearts at SBCU, as it is important that we go above and beyond of supporting members the South Bay with extraordinary service in-house, but that we are also actively involved in the betterment of our community. Our credit union team strives to make the South Bay a brighter place, one day at a time.”

All Redondo Beach Unified School District elementary schools, along with Hermosa View School have LiveWell Kids gardens provided by Beach Cities Health District and are maintained by the Garden Coordinator and other Garden Angel volunteers. The LiveWell Kids Garden program provides five interactive lessons per year where students learn about planting, composting, harvesting, and mindful eating practices. In addition to the elementary school gardens spread across the South Bay, BCHD in partnership with Palos Verdes School Gardens, is offering the first-ever middle school garden program in the Beach Cities at Hermosa Valley School. The highly-interactive program focuses on farm-to-table practices and provides students with opportunities for advocacy in creating healthy eating habits. Lessons are taught by a dedicated garden specialist. To learn more about BCHD’s school gardens or to inquire about volunteering, please visit https://www.bchd.org/schoolgardens.

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