Program Sites

As a mutual aid cooperative founded in 2018, we foster sustainable community to support the well-being, empowerment, and self-determination of food and housing-insecure residents in the greater Long Beach area with dignity and compassion through providing nutritious food, hygiene products, clothing and other basic essentials...

Mission: To contribute to the health, well-being, empowerment and self-determination of under-served populations in the great Long Beach community. By providing affordable, nutritious, organic foods and eventually other goods and services, accessible to all, through a locally-oriented, collectively-managed, not-for-profit workers’ cooperative. Our intention is for this to be a platform for building mutually-beneficial community connections and to decrease dependency on the current corporate-owned structure. We are a produce delivery service, similar to an ice cream truck, with a specific and dependable route so that our clients know when to expect us and where. We are choosing to use the California Cooperative Business Model.

The Long Beach Health and Human Services Department (Health Department) has been improving the health of the Long Beach community for over a century. We strive to create a safe and healthy community for all to live, work, and play.

The Health Department has 340 employees located in nine sites around the City. It operates with a $120 million annual budget, 99% of which comes from Federal, State, County, and private funds. Long Beach is one of only three city-run health departments in California, allowing for better engagement with its people, neighborhoods, businesses, and community partners, and a greater understanding of the City's strengths and needs. This local focus allows the Department to coordinate resources from all sources to best meet the needs of our City.

This is an exciting time to be working in Public Health and Human Services. We continue to focus on the core work of Public Health but the conversations and planning have expanded to include the "social determinants of health." These are the pieces of a person's life that impact their health, including poverty, safety, education, and employment. These impacts span generations. It's so important that we are working to address them now. The other conversations are around the "built environment" which include sidewalks, streets, and other infrastructure that provide opportunities for safe and healthy behaviors like walking, biking and social engagement. The greatest predictor of a person's health is where they live.

The Health and Human Services Department, alone, cannot address all of these areas. We must work closely with our many partners at all levels of government, schools, existing collaboratives, non-profit agencies, communities, business and individuals. To reach our vision of a healthy Long Beach, all of us must work collectively, establishing goals and working collaboratively to achieve them.

Every year the Department provides over 350,000 public health visits, 16,000 immunizations, 300,000 food nutrition vouchers, 7,800 food facility inspections, 5,400 miles of spraying for mosquitoes, 2,700 public health nurse visits and 780 recreational water tests. Over 7,000 homeless individuals are assisted with housing and other services.

Our Strategic Plan and the Community Health Improvement Plan outline the health-related goals for our Department and the community.

It is a pleasure to work with my talented staff and our many amazing partners. We look forward to working with you on our journey toward a healthier Long Beach.

All the best,

Kelly Colopy, Director of Health & Human Services

MISSION

All young children in Long Beach will reach their full potential and live in healthy and safe homes and communities.

STRATEGIC PLAN

The City of Long Beach Early Childhood Education Strategic Plan is a collaborative and comprehensive plan developed with multiple stakeholders...

Healthy Active Long Beach provides basic nutrition information, healthy cooking and snack ideas, tips for clients, and how to keep families healthy? Topics include:

• Eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables every day.

• Healthy eating on a budget.

• Tips for...

The Long Beach Tobacco Education and Prevention Program (TEPP) has worked to build a healthier community by reducing the use of tobacco and the exposure to secondhand smoke in the City of Long Beach. The Tobacco Education Program strives to achieve this goal by:

• Providing referrals for people who want to...

We are moving Long Beach Forward.

VISION

Race and income do not determine one’s future in Long Beach--it’s a community where everyone is safe, connected, and healthy.

MISSION

To create a healthy Long Beach with low-income communities of color by building community knowledge, leadership, and power.

​VALUES

Fairness: We work with groups often not invited to the table to ensure their voices are heard, they can lead change, and our democracy is strengthened. Opportunity and participation in political processes should not be constrained by income and race.

Collaboration: We are stronger together and building relationships among diverse residents, organizations, and decision makers is key to achieving our vision of a healthier Long Beach.

Connection: We create a space for people to come together and be part of a community of like-minded people facing similar challenges and working toward a common goal.

Change: We transform how business is done and decisions are made by addressing root causes and supporting those most affected to lead the charge. We seek long-lasting change today.

Integrity: We support low-income communities of color to bring about change and we are committed and accountable to help push this change forward. We walk the walk and are constantly evolving to better meet the needs of our communities.

We are moving Long Beach Forward.

VISION

Race and income do not determine one’s future in Long Beach--it’s a community where everyone is safe, connected, and healthy.

MISSION

To create a healthy Long Beach with low-income communities of color by building community knowledge, leadership, and power.

​VALUES

Fairness: We work with groups often not invited to the table to ensure their voices are heard, they can lead change, and our democracy is strengthened. Opportunity and participation in political processes should not be constrained by income and race.

Collaboration: We are stronger together and building relationships among diverse residents, organizations, and decision makers is key to achieving our vision of a healthier Long Beach.

Connection: We create a space for people to come together and be part of a community of like-minded people facing similar challenges and working toward a common goal.

Change: We transform how business is done and decisions are made by addressing root causes and supporting those most affected to lead the charge. We seek long-lasting change today.

Integrity: We support low-income communities of color to bring about change and we are committed and accountable to help push this change forward. We walk the walk and are constantly evolving to better meet the needs of our communities.

We have a vision of Long Beach in which race and income do not determine one’s future--it’s a community where everyone is safe, connected, and healthy. Our mission is to create a healthy Long Beach with low-income communities of color by building community knowledge, leadership, and power.

All students, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation, are open and welcome to participate.

We are a nonprofit organization educating and advocating for the needs of senior adults and advancing progressive issues in our community.