The other side of the “pitbull” story.

Shima 0 comments 13.04.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s WCW title belongs to Jennifer Rosen who’s love for her beloved Pitbull inspired the creation of a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the bully breed find their forever home.

Rosen grew up in Rolling Hills Estates and currently lives in Redondo Beach, CA. After her first Pit Bull, Lady, passed away, she had a strong desire to help other bullies in need. She says it also inspired her to advocate for the breed and for responsible Pit Bull owners everywhere.

In result, she created Bullies and Buddies Rescue, an official non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and re-homing Bullies and their other Buddy breeds in Southern California. Through training, love and patience, B&B has come to know and love every dog they have rescued as if they were their own. “They are all angels and we want them to succeed. For this reason, we pledge to never take on more dogs than we can properly care for, exercise, train and re-home,” she says.

Below, Jennifer shares some ways one can help:

Become a foster. Fostering saves lives. We can only save dogs if we have a place for them to crash. At Bullies and Buddies, we rely on fosters to help transition these dogs into their forever home. Our first priority is to place new rescues in foster homes (rather than to board them). Fostering saves the expense of boarding and provides a safe and loving home until they find their forever home!

Become a monthly donor. Even if you can only commit to $5/month that makes a huge difference because it allows us to plan ahead and save more dogs. It costs hundreds of dollars to spay/neuter, vaccinate, and chip just one dog not to mention housing, food, training and additional medical needs. If we have more consistent monthly commitments, we can say "yes" to more dogs who need us most.

She says the best part of rescuing is truly the dogs. “Being able to make a difference in even one life is so rewarding. We are so proud that we have saved over 900 dogs and counting. We just saved 3 more on Monday and the week isn't over yet,” she says.

 

When asked what she’d like others to know about dogs or adopting, she says, “First, if you have a fear of Pitt Bulls, please reach out or stop by our next adoption event. We'd like to introduce you to some amazing dogs.” Jennifer says that regardless of the type of dog you are looking for, please, please adopt instead of going to a breeder. Also, she says to finally please consider adopting a Pit Bull.

Studies estimate that up to 1 million Pit Bulls are euthanized per year which is 2,800 per day. Some estimates are up to double that number. In the Los Angeles area alone, 200 per day are put to sleep. “They need our help,” she says.

When Jennifer is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family. She says they are her rock and share her love for rescuing dogs. In the next five years, they’d like to continue to focus on the following three areas.

RESCUE

• save the dogs who need us most
• find loving homes for every rescue
• provide medical needs to ensure each dog has a happy, healthy life

AWARENESS

• advocate for the Pit Bull breed to dispel the myths
• provide opportunities for people to interact with Pit Bulls
• share rescue stories to provide positive news for the breed

GROW

• recruit more fosters so we can save more dogs
• develop strategic partnerships so we can reach more people and save more dogs

To learn more about Bullies and Buddies, please follow them on Facebook and Instagram and share the rescued dogs. They post daily updates so you can follow and learn their mission to save lives. So often one of their dogs finds a forever home because someone shared their picture and story.

You can also consider becoming a monthly angel donor and contributing to their cause at www.bulliesandbuddies.com to learn more.

Thank you Jennifer for being a passionate advocate and speaking on behalf of bullies who need our help!

“I am driven to bring awareness to the other side of the "Pit Bull" story - the one most people don't see on the news. I hope to get people to look deeper beyond the "Pit Bull" hype and see how loving and gentle these dogs can be.”

-Jennifer Rosen

Meeting the needs of every child.

Shima 0 comments 06.04.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place. Today’s WCW title belongs to Cassondra (Cassie) Harris who teaches English two honors and English three at South High School on top of instructing the girls' drill team.

Cassie grew up in Redondo Beach and graduated from Mira Costa High school. Several years later, she completed the scholars program at Santa Monica college, and later transferred to UCLA. Cassie graduated with a major in English and says that she absolutely loved college!

Growing up, she wasn't always sure that she wanted to become a teacher. She says that she many family members  are teachers and knew that teaching was harder work than most people think it is. “I knew that I loved working with kids and that I loved the literature and writing. However, I was also interested in the field of psychology,” she says.

Cassie grew up watching her mother prepare lesson plans, grade assignments, and witnessed her going to help in her classroom on weekends. Despite growing up around a teacher, she says it was not until she began tutoring for the AVID program at Mira Costa that she realized she was really interested in the field of education. She says, “I really enjoyed helping teenagers with their writing and discussing literature.”

Since becoming a teacher, Cassie learned very early on that students will respect you if you are respectful to them. “It's important to never judge a student because often we don't know what is going on in their personal life,” she says.

She enjoys seeing when her students have a light-bulb moment and they understand a concept that they were having a difficult time with. Also, she likes being able to stay in touch with past students and see them grow into successful adults.

When Cassie is not improving her students’ English skills, she enjoys coaching the Drill Team. She has been the Drill Team adviser at South High for the past 10 years. She says, “Many people get Drill confused with cheer. Although Drill still supports the school by attending and performing at basketball and football games, their performances are dance-like in nature.”

Her responsibility as a Coach is to monitor and manage the team. She organizes practices, performance, and events. She also attends all of the practices, performances, and events. By doing so, she gets to know the kids on the team very well because they spend so much time together. She says, “I think of them as part of my family. We are currently in our competition season. Our final, USA National competition is this coming weekend!”

Cassie would like others to know that most teachers become educators because they love kids and love their subject of choice. She says, “We often care for the children of others as if they are our own.”

When Cassie is not teaching her students or coaching, she enjoys paying it forward by doing the simple things. She says, “Paying it forward doesn't always mean a grand gesture. I like doing simple things, like taking time to say hi to strangers passing by, or helping an elderly person who needs assistance in the grocery store. You never know what someone is going through, or how a simple favor might make their day.”

 She loves living in the South Bay mostly because a lot of people stay here. She says, “It's really nice to have so many close friends that live in the area.”

Thank you, Cassie, for empowering the children of our future to learn, grow, and become all-around wonderful members of society.

 “Teaching is not easy. Teachers take lots of time to plan their lessons well to ensure that each student's needs will be met.”

– Cassie Harris

Providing Comfort & Making a Difference.

Shima 0 comments 30.03.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s WCW title belongs to Lynn Aglipay who believes in sharing blessings and giving back to the community as much as possible.

Lynn was born and raised in the South Bay. She has come to believe that when you’re right where you should be, there’s a certainty to what you do. It’s no surprise she feels compelled to give back and works immensely hard to be able to do so.

​Today, Lynn is involved in many charities, especially causes that help children. She is the founding and current Board of Director for the Asian Real Estate Association of America, South Bay Chapter (AREAA SB). She says the latter focuses on providing sustainable living for Asians in the South Bay. In addition, she is on the Board of Directors of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Association of Realtors (PVPAR) and Chairman of the Fundraising and Scholarship Committee​ supporting the Peninsula Education Foundation.

She also is the former Board of Director for Las Amigas de Las Loma and supporting Ortheapedic Institute for Children which provides orthopedic medical assistance to families who cannot afford care. She says, “Sitting on the board of directors for the Las Amigas de Las Lomas, an annual horse show with proceeds going to the hospital, has been one of the most fulfilling areas of my life.”

You’d imagine that she’d exhaust herself with all the committees and boards she manages, yet she also provides monthly dinners and the annual Christmas breakfast to the Toberman House, a community center in San Pedro that provides an after school program for kids.

Lynn believes she has always "given back." She says from the time she was in elementary school; she remembers being taught to give back. “I never thought what I was doing was anything out of the ordinary,” she says. When asked what inspires her to give back to the community, she simply says, “I really don't know...I just do it because it's fulfilling for me personally

For those seeking opportunity to also give back, Lynn says ​there are many ways to make a difference, whether it is working with philanthropic organizations to playing piano for an elderly neighbor. “It can be a financial contribution or it can be physical contribution, most importantly is that you are making a difference,” she says.

One of the most impactful moments for Lynn when giving back was when she was serving salad at the Toberman House. “When I began serving dinners at Toberman House, most kids didn't like or wouldn't want to eat salad. There was a little boy, who refused to even have it on his plate. I told him to just try it, he refused saying the teachers will make me eat everything on my plate and I don't like salad,” she says.

In hopes of convincing the young boy to eat something nutritious, Lynn told him that if he tried it, she would let the teachers know and he wouldn't have to finish it. She says he agreed to try it and he came back for seconds with a big grin. “That's right, the little boy who initially didn't want to eat salad,” she says.

She also remembers hosting a Christmas breakfast for needy families when Santa came and gave gifts to about 60 children. She says that unlike the rest of the families whose children were so excited to be unwrapping their gifts, she noticed a family of six who sat back and the kids just held onto their gifts. She asked one of the teachers why they weren't opening the gifts we had provided, and the teacher responded saying these were the only gifts the children will have so they’re saving it until Christmas. The moment impacted her greatly and she has never forgotten it.

When Lynn isn’t working or giving back to the community, she enjoys spending time her family and friends. She says that when and if she can get away, they are usually having tons of fun in Mammoth, fishing or skiing or relaxing in Palm Springs.​

​She loves to South Bay mostly for the lifestyle it allows. She appreciates being surrounded by beaches, views and tranquility. ​She feels it is important to give back to others because there are so many people in need and we need more compassion for one another.

Thank you, Lynn, for providing efforts to making our community a greater place.

“Giving back to community has been some of the most rewarding work I have ever done, and I look forward to further expand my contributions in the near future. As long as I can contribute and provide comfort for people, I know I am making a difference.”

– Lynn Aglipay

Making women feel beautiful again.

Shima 0 comments 23.03.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s ‪WCW title belongs to entrepreneur Mari who began designing clothing with stretchy material in hopes of helping women feel more comfortable in their skin.

Mari, 28, grew up in Southern California. In 2012, Mari began creating dresses after feeling frustrated with the limited amount of styles for her comfort. “I grew tired of shopping at the mall, trying to fit my body type in a Forever 21 dress, so I literally told myself, today, I’m going to make a dress with no pattern, all free hand, and I did,” she says.

Early on, her father and mother inspired her to begin creating dresses.  “Every time we had a social gathering, which was almost every Friday and Saturday, my Mother would pick out the fabric and design the outfit, while my Father would make the outfit. It was like having my own personal designer, i am grateful for my parents. they have inspired me to express myself how i wanted to be portrayed which she says is unheard of in the Afghan community.

Initially, Mari only created custom orders, however, is currently transitioning into costume designs for the film industry and stage performance costume.

Mari feels most relaxed when she is able to create pieces and finds that she is in her element then.  “It’s my meditation time, a time to recollect my thoughts and keep my mind focus. It’s very therapeutic for me,” she says. Mari’s dress designs are inspired by Bollywood. “I love everything about it, especially Hindi films, colors, colors, colors!”

One of Mari’s greatest passions and ways of paying it forward to the community is as a humanist. She says, “I am prolife. If you are hungry, I will offer you food. If you are thirsty, I will offer you water. I believe every living thing/being on this earth deserves privilege and equality, after all we are all visitors. So who are we as human being to ignore the suffering of others?”

Outside of offering a lending hand to those in need, Mari is very vocal on her social media accounts supporting the latest movement,“Black lives matter.” She became very passionate about the cause after her husband, Daylyt was harassed by the police several times. She says, “Remind you, we don’t drink, we don’t smoke, he is not on parole, he is not a criminal. But even if I’m driving, as soon as they see him, we get pulled over and they take him out of the car, out of camera view, call for backup , and an hour later, let us go. After they don’t have any reason in the first place to pull us over.”

She feels it is important that society educates and acknowledges the fact that racism exists and we it’s practiced daily within the police force and justice system.

When Mari is not creating and designing dresses for her clients, she enjoys living a simple life as a vegan, seamstress, and photographer. She also assists her husband, Daylyt and is a full-time mother to her son, Sunlyt whom she also homeschools.

She enjoys hiking outdoors, swimming, belly dancing, going to the beach, making music, singing, battle rapping, and reading.

Mari has found some ways to a successful life. She says that first, a happy home begins with a happy woman in the household, whether it is the mother, wife, or girlfriend. She also believes in adding color in one’s wardrobe affects their mood tremendously. “The average person’s go to color is black. I think we should break out of that corporate America look and incorporate vibrant colors in our wardrobes once in a while,” she says.

She hopes that others will think outside of the box and speak into existence. She simply says, “YES, you can do whatever you put your mind to!”

Thank you, Mari for a being a wonderful member of the South Bay and offering women an alternative way to feel sexy and advocating human-rights for all.

To contact Mari for custom pieces, please visit her website at i2ahadi.com or visit her instagram page at @MARI2AHADI

“After all, fashion expresses a person’s personality without having to speak! Thanks, mom & dad.”

-Mari

Makeovers for Everyone.

Shima 0 comments 16.03.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s WCW title belongs to Larisa who followed her passions for makeup as a child and pursued a career as a makeup artist.

Larisa, resident of the South Bay has been a makeup artist for over 10 years. She pursued makeup after realizing that it was something she was always drawn to from an early age and passionate about. Today, Larisa is working as freelance makeup artist and is self-employed.

She says, “When I was a little girl, there were no doll houses, cookie and tea parties in my room. If you came to play, you were getting a makeover.” Years later, she enrolled in makeup school and took it very seriously. “It was very important for me to have the proper education,” she says.

 

Upon graduating from makeup school, her career took off. She worked for several makeup companies as a traveling artist and trainer. “I would say for anyone who starts, that’s always a good way to get your hands in the field. It definitely opens many doors for you aside from the fun and experience, but never give up on your dreams and your main goal,” she says.

She has had the opportunity to work on very exciting sets throughout her career. “I was so excited when I was working on a set for KTLA news on live TV for their Valentine’s Day lingerie show,” she says. She enjoys meeting other artist and enjoys the fun she gets to have on set.

Larisa enjoys doing makeup mostly for the reactions she gets from her clients. She loves seeing people happy and in a good mood while getting their makeup done. “I like listening to them. I always hear the most interesting stories,” she says.

When she is not working, Larissa enjoys spending time at the beach or traveling. Those two things always help her recharge. She also loves to cook and going into what she calls, “Chef mode.” She says that if she weren’t a makeup artist, she would be a chef and a really good one.

She loves the South Bay mostly because it is the only place in the world that has always felt like home and it is home for her. “I love everything about the South Bay, the beaches, the views, the weather, the people, the feel,” she says. She feels as though she is walking in a postcard or painting whenever near the water and calls it “heaven on earth.”

To schedule an appointment with Larisa, please contact her directly at info@larisamakeup.com

Instagram: @larisalovesmakeup

Thank you, Larisa for offering your passions and love for makeup to the residents of the South Bay community.

“Get out there and challenge yourself and never reject any gigs.”

– Larisa

Inspiring the children of our future by making math fun again

Shima 0 comments 09.03.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s WCW title belongs to Sara Aloteibi who gives back to the community by touching the lives of her student’s and helping them find their strengths in math like she once did.

Sara, 28, grew up in Torrance, CA and never left! When she was an 8^th grader, she failed Algebra 1 and had to retake it over the Summer. “My summer school teacher saw my potential in math and recommended I take the honors route,” she says.

When she began her freshman year at North High School, she began taking both Geometry Honors and Algebra 2 Honors with an inspirational math teacher who made math meaningful, enjoyable, and understandable. “She completely shifted my view of mathematics and her love for the subject was demonstrated in her teaching and eventually transferred onto her students,” she says.

However, when Sara reached Calculus as a senior, she had a horrible teacher who gave a test on the first day of school and said, “If you fail this test then you will fail the class.” He proceeded to administer the test and when she received her results the following day, she had failed along with many others.

Sara says, “I let him succeed in scaring me out of the class as I ended up dropping out of Calculus immediately after. From that moment, I realized the difference an educator can make in the success of a student.” She found that if you set a student up for failure, they will fail. However, if you provide them with inspiration and the tools for success then the sky is the limit.

Today, Sara is using the lessons she’s learned growing up to teach Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus at South High School to 9th – 12th graders. “Math is just one of those incredible subjects where ends actually do meet. Where you are given a situation with many different approaches that always lead to one clear answer,” she says.

Sara loves math because it’s all around us and has shaped society. “It is actually connected to our real world and present in many different fields than most truly know,” she says. One way she likes to make class fun for her students is to see these connections in our real world and different career fields.

Sara shares some of the ways her class learns: “For example, I show short video clips and pictures from time to time to open up a lesson. We do a cooling cookie lab when we get into exponential and logarithmic functions and relate the cookies cooling to how our world is cooling exponential. We throw tennis balls and determine the height the ball was thrown through mathematics. We design polynomial roller coasters and sine and cosine Tsunami waves. I try to create as many student-centered lessons as possible so that they are able to discover the concepts rather than being told the concepts.”

She is most intrigued when she sees the light bulbs turn on for her kids, especially with students who have always struggled with math all their lives. She wants others to know that life is definitely not about being perfect, rather about doing your very best and putting in as much effort as possible. “And if you fail then learn from your mistakes…you can only do better from that point on,” she says.

In the next five years, she hopes to treat herself and her family as much as possible. She says that her husband and her have worked extremely hard to get to where they are at and definitely have a long way to go, but finds that it’s okay to take a break every now and then to treat themselves as a family.

They hope to take at least two trips a year to travel and enjoy the beautiful world. She also hopes to pursue a doctorate in Education sometime in the near future if God is willing. When she is not teaching and being a mom, she enjoys it on the couch with a bag of chips in her hand watching a movie or a TV show with her husband.

She finds that there isn’t a single thing not to love about living in the South Bay. “The weather is great, the beach is right there when you need it, there is now an in N out in practically every corner, hundreds of great places to eat at, the malls, freeways, diversity, and convenience of really never having to travel far since you can practically find almost every store you can think of in just one city,” she says.

Thank you, Sara for positively influencing the children of our future to accomplish their mathematical struggles!

“Having had both kinds of teachers and both experiences of failing and succeeding made me realize the importance of an educator and their effect on a learner which is why I decided to pursue a career in teaching. I want to spread knowledge, education, and the beauty of math so that I can hopefully inspire young minds to be great.” -Sara Aloteibi

Altering First Impressions

Shima 0 comments 02.03.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s ‪#‎WCW title belongs to Veronica Marshall who creates art pieces including self-portraits in hopes of articulating how humans judge one another while also playing optical allusions on people.

Marshall, 26, was born and raised in Torrance, CA. Upon graduating from North Torrance High School in 2007, she studied at El Camino Community College and Otis College of Art and Design.

Marshall grew an immense passion for art through various extracurricular art programs she was involved in at the age of 10. However, in high school, she was encouraged and inspired by her art teacher  to pursue Fine Arts as a career.

“The decision to be a fine artist was cemented while taking art classes at El Camino Community College. I was inspired, intrigued and excited by the work of my fellow art students and teachers,” she says.

Marshall’s role as an artist is to visually engage the viewer to create dialogue and visual pleasure.  “Physically I create primarily in my studio, although sometimes my concepts may take me to different locations. The concepts come to me through my life experiences,” she says.

She has found that she is fascinated by the interaction of people and the concepts of the hidden self and how first impressions are often misleading and one dimensional. She explains that this finding has greatly influenced her figurative work. “My abstract work is more influenced by color, fluidity and texture,” she says.

She is inspired to create by a variety of materials, media and experiences. She finds Jay DeFeo and Cindy Sherman who are artists inspirational.

When she is not creating art, she enjoys going to the movies, exhibits, reading and spend time with friends and family.

She enjoys paying it forward to the community by participating in multiple art shows where the proceeds of the work are donated to the homeless shelters in Los Angles. In addition, she donated work in 2011 to a show were the proceeds went to help the Japanese after the earthquake.

In five years, Marshall hopes to have a successful career as a fine artist and having finished her Master’s Degree in Fine Arts and Art History. She would like people to know that a career as an artist is not easy and it truly has to be your passion.

Thank you Veronica for using your passion for art as a way to give back to the the community and reminding us that our first impressions may not always be accurate.

To see more of Veronica’s pieces, please visit her website here.

“I truly believe that without art there is no life”

– Veronica Marshall

Aiding our Troops back to Health

Shima 0 comments 24.02.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s WCW title belongs to Sarah Tuflija who is a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) at the Veteran Affairs Hospital in Long Beach.

Sarah, 26, grew up in North Torrance and graduated from North High school in 2007.   Upon graduating from North High, Sarah spent some time in community college where she realized she needed a change.

She found that she had an interest in the medical field, but dove straight into the surgery department because of her family’s history in the field. “My mom was a surgical tech and still works in the operating room at Harbor UCLA and my grandmother was a CRNA, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist for Kaiser Permanente,” she says.

Her duties include assisting surgeons in the operating room from procedures that range from general surgery, urology, vascular, ENT, thoracic and so on. Sarah says, “There is no better feeling than every morning walking into the VA for work and seeing old war pictures, propaganda and memorials of all of our heroes and knowing that I am here to care for them.”

Sarah says that the veterans have served their time and duty and feels it is her job to make them better again. “The stories and personalities of some of the older veterans always make me smile. We are starting to get a shift as younger generation of veterans come in for care and an increase in women veterans,” she says.

The VA’s mission statement is to fulfill Lincoln’s promise: “to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s veterans.” Sarah feels grateful to be on the team of helpers who aid veterans.

Today, Sarah resides in Gardena and is the proud wife of a veteran. When she is not busy assisting veterans as a surgical technologist, she enjoys being outdoors at the beach, walking her dogs, being with friends and a having a good dinner and movie date with her husband. She loves the South Bay mostly for the, “beautiful weather, beaches and Mexican food.”

In five years, Sarah sees herself still working for the veterans in Long Beach and starting a family. She is proud to say that all of the men in her family are military veterans and the women work in operating rooms.

Thank you Sarah for aiding and assisting our heroes every day!

 “Being bed side, serving care for our veterans who have served and sacrificed so much for us is a job that I leave everyday feeling amazing about.”

– Sarah Tuflija

Giving hope with Jewels

Shima 0 comments 10.02.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s ‪#WCW title belongs to Bonnie Orona who uses her jewelry business to spread awareness and raise money to rescue and aid young children who are facing human trafficking.

Bonnie Orona, grew up in the South Bay and lived in Torrance all of her childhood life. She later graduated from South High and currently lives in Harbor City. Today, Bonnie is a personal stylist and leader for ViVi formerly Cookie Lee Jewelry.

Her duties include selling fashion jewelry, sunglasses, and scarves as well as building a team. “But my biggest passion is fundraising throughout the community and globally. I have a huge heart to give,” she says. A huge heart indeed, as she likes to help many organizations.

Bonnie uses her ViVI business as a way to help different causes. “I set up my jewelry at events or do catalog fundraisers,” she says. At the end of the event, she donates 50% of her sales to the cause. She has found that this is the best way that she can help a cause.

For over three years, Bonnie had a dream to pay for a house to be built on the Thailand/Burma border by Life Impact International. She says her friend has missionaries in Thailand and has been there for over 14 years rescuing kids that are being human trafficked. “I’ve helped on a smaller monetary scale, but when I heard about this land they purchased and how they wanted to build 17 houses…light bulbs went off,” she says.

She knew she had to be a part of building one of the homes. In result, she pasted a picture of the kids and their needs on her vision board. Today, there are only 3 houses left to build. With the help of Bonnie raising money towards these homes, 14 homes have been built.

Once the money is raised, they will be able to build a house where the children can live and know what it is like to live in a more traditional smaller scale family home. “When all of this started, the kids would be rescued and then they would all live in one massive house. Tons of people in one home…like an orphanage. Lana’s vision was for the kids to live more as a family,” she says. 

She was inspired to help largely in part to her friend, Lana Vasquez. “It’s crazy to think a gal from the valley of Southern California would give up everything and sacrifice her life to be over there in Thailand, Burma, and China rescuing kids from a life of prostitution and slavery,” she says. She realized she was living a comfortable life with her husband, kids, pool, and beaches. Yet, there are kids afraid for their lives and a young brave woman over there risking it all…giving kids a hope and a dream.

She ultimately decided that if she can be connected to something like that, then she would feel like she has received the ultimate gift. She thought if she can sow into those kids lives, then she can help them to bloom into something pretty amazing. Such as, helping them heal from a scary life.

There are two ways others can help the cause:

They can shop for some jewelry and 50% of their total purchase price will be donated to Life Impact International. Her website is www.bevivi.com/bonnieorona.

They can make a tax deductible check out to Life Impact International and drop it in the mail to:

Bonnie Orona: 26315 President Avenue, Harbor City, Ca 90710.

Bonnie explains that the goal is to raise $21,000 by the last day of February. As of this morning, they’ve raised $800.00.

Bonnie would like people to know that Child Trafficking is not just happening on the other side of the world. She says, “It is happening right here in our own backyard. Kids as well as adults are being purchased for sex acts as well as slavery. It is so sad and disgusting.”

She is often asked why she is helping children overseas and not here in the United States. She says, “Why not raise $21,000 for children locally? Honestly, I do help children locally. Anytime I can help a child here…I will. But there is just something inside of me that has been telling me to be a part of this.”

She follows what she calls “a small voice.” She is open to see who she can help by following the voice she hears. “For me, that still small voice is God. And I desire to please Him. Today I believe a community will come together for a group of children on the other side of the country and God will honor us for that. A bigger blessing will come for some kids or even for someone here in our town that decided to sow into this movement,” she says.

When she is not working or finding ways to raise money for the children, she is a huge supporter for Community’s Child- a nonprofit organization in Lomita that houses women and their children as well as feeds 1000’s of children every week in the Lomita, Harbor City, and Torrance area. In addition, Bonnie is a member of The Harbor City, Lomita Kiwanis an organization that supports the kids in the community as well as globally.

Her duties include reading and fundraising for the kids at Lomita Magnet. She says, “I help anyone that I find needs help and wants my help and honestly anytime I hear someone needs to raise money, I offer to help.” In addition, she is involved with a group of women via Social Media called The Company of Women.

She says that they are a group of women that promote Faith in the field. The “field” could be their home, community, or market place. She has found that the Company of Women has helped her to have the faith and courage to raise this $21,000.00. 

Bonnie loves the South Bay mostly for its beaches. “I love beaches so much! I could stay near the coast all day long,” she says. She makes a constant effort to live each day full of Joy and says in the midst of chaos, she chooses joy.

Bonnie, thank you for being a wonderful member of the South Bay community and giving young children hope again through jewels!

“Something has always drawn me into the inner city of the South Bay. I have a huge heart for the homeless community and those that are down and out. Honestly, I just want to make a difference in the community and globally.”

– Bonnie Orona

Not Just a Temporary Fix

Shima 0 comments 03.02.2016

Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place. Today’s ‪#WCW title belongs to South Bay resident, Nelita Villezon, who is changing the lives of many through her love of fitness.

Nelita,29, was born in North Carolina and raised in Los Angeles since she was one. Growing up, she was surrounded by all aspects of fitness as her parents owned several martial arts/fitness facilities. “I have always trained in many styles of martial arts and dance,” she says.

Nelita grew an immense passion for fitness and owes it to her parents. She says when growing up, it was rare to see people do the things her family did. However, today, she has found that just about everyone is in some way a fitness enthusiast. “They instilled it in me from a young age that fitness is a lifestyle and not just a temporary fix. I grew to love it and it will always be a part of me,” she says.

Today, Nelita remains very active and trains clients at several places. She explains that because she works out daily, she does not stick to one specific gym. Instead, she visits several gyms and occasionally implements outdoor workouts.

Despite working out daily, she finds new ways to mix her workouts up. She lifts daily and also trains in martial arts, takes dance classes, yoga classes, and more.  “It really depends on how I feel on a given day. Every day is different,” she says.

Nelita’s coaching schedule depends on a person’s specific needs or desires. “Some people like to work out for a specific goal. Others want to acquire specific skills. Then there are some that just want to work out for the fun of it,” she says. Based upon that, she is able to create a plan unique for that individual.

In the next five years, she would like to make a larger footprint as a global brand. I would like to travel and share my knowledge with fitness and overall wellness. She has come to realize that more than ever people are becoming more aware of health and fitness. “I would hope that this continues to flourish. It’s a beautiful thing to see,” she says.

When Nelita is not changing the lives of her clients and working out, she likes to pay it forward through charity, donations, etc. Her friends and her often offer free classes in their communities as well as donate their time to various charitable/fundraising events. “I personally have a charitable organization called The Rooftop Project that benefits impoverished families in the Philippines. That is close to my heart because my family is from there,” she says.

Nelita’s greatest passion outside of working out and fitness her passion for people. She seeks to connect with others not only through fitness, but through life. “I think it is important to connect and share with others on any level. That is the only way to grow, understand, and really appreciate this life,” she says.

Nelita enjoys living in the South Bay most because she identifies herself as a “beach girl.” She genuinely believes that the South Bay has many beaches to offer. “It is a completely different vibe than living in greater Los Angeles,” she says.

Thank you, Nelita for being a wonderful asset to the South Bay community and bringing your passion for fitness and people together.

To schedule a workout with Nelita, please email her directly at: nelita@viebrantathletics.com. If you are not located near her, she is also creating online workouts that you can purchase on her site at www.viebrantathletics.com

My biggest hope is that we become more aware of the nutrition that we give ourselves. I believe that is still a huge issue to overcome. Lastly, I hope we become a generation of change and givers. The world needs that so badly right now.”

– Nelita Villezon