The Catalyst Network of Communities

Hi everyone!

May has been another full month in the Catalyst Network of Communities - full of fun, connecting, and collaborating towards projects of common interest.

• the team worked together to host the 2nd annual Green Long Beach! Festival. (see pics)
• we walked in the Long Beach Pride Parade (see pics) for the first time.
• the team began plans for Long Beach's first community show choir for teens.
• we've hosted entertainment every Saturday for East Village Farmers Market.
• we've offered a space for people to learn how to maintain their bicycles.
• we hosted fun mixers for artists.
• we partnered with Datugan Dance Theatre to organize the 1st annual Long Beach Dance Festival in 2011. 
• we've started working towards the development of a tax-assistance program for low-income families and individuals.
• we've hosted space for community groups to hold Zen meditation and also a parenting forum.
• we've also continued working on developing our internal infrastructure.
• Jason Huggins officially took on the role as Catalyst Space manager
• our Board of Directors met for its quarterly meeting
• we even filmed a short 30 second PSA!

We also extended best wishes to Lacey C. Clark who was the catalyst for LBGirl!. She recently had to move back to Philadelphia. We'll miss her heart and love that she always extended to all of us.

In next month's COMPASS newsletter, I'm planning on introducing you to our catalysts, volunteers, collaborative communities, community groups, and community projects that comprise the Catalyst Network of Communities. Hopefully by then, we'll have a new web site to show you too with all sorts of tools to help you to "connect and affect!"

Please stay connected and informed and be sure to find a way to get involved. There are plenty of ways to make an affect on your neighborhood. There are plenty of ways that you can be a catalyst!
 

Eric Leocadio
Long Beach Area Catalyst
Executive Director/Founder
Catalyst Community

First Sundays Brunch

Stay connected with others in the Catalyst Network of Communities at our First Sundays Brunches.

Everyone is welcome to come by on Sunday, June 6th from 11-1pm at Eric's house, 2110 Mira Mar Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90815.

Bring a potluck dish to share and some drinks for mimosas!

Inspired by the hit show GLEE? High School teens in Long Beach now have the opportunity to join our new community urban show choir. Will you please help spread the word? Here's a flyer. Here's a press release.

Here's the audition schedule:

Saturday, June 5th, 2010 4PM - 8PM
Immanuel Center, 3215 East 3rd Street, Long Beach, CA 90814

Anyone interested should go to http://www.gocatalyst.org/urbanrhythm.php.

Want to join the organizing team to make this happen? Contact earl.harville@gmail.com.
 

Will You Invest in Us?

The entire Team across the Catalyst Network of Communities have been doing an awesome job at helping people and organizations to connect and affect in a variety of ways. All of us are doing this as volunteers and we've got certain operational expenses to keep us up and running.

We currently receive 41% of what we actually need for bare essentials! Can you help?

Our current operational expenses total about $1,700 and empowers us to have a multi-use space for collaborative meetings, connection events and shows, phone and internet access for everyone, web hosting, security system, electricity, plus insurance that we need to secure.

Our current revenue total about $700 and comes from monthly pledge donations, cash donations at the Catalyst Space, and sponsorship from an organization. Thank you for your continued support! We're writing grants now  for funding that would come at the end of this year and next year.

We need a solid donor base of people and organizations who invest in our vision to see every area inspired with a greater sense of community, collaboration, and citizenship through meaningful relationships. Here's what we need right now:

40 new people to make a monthly pledge of at least $24.

5 new businesses to become a monthly sponsor of at least $100.

2 new businesses to make a one time donation of at least $250.

If you can help, please make a donation today! Thank you so much!

Green Long Beach! Community

Now that the 2nd annual Green Long Beach! Festival has passed, we are now organizing so that we can continue to catalyze our city to go green. We want to see new community gardens throughout the city. We want to see new green jobs. We want to see a broader community awareness through education about sustainability. We want to see an even better 3rd annual Green Long Beach! Festival in 2011 that continues to bring our community together.

We are working now to develop our strategies for the next 12 months and to provide practical training for leaders. Would you like to join the team?

Our next meeting will be on either June 15th or June 16th at 6:30pm. We are currently securing a location that's available. If you're interested, please contact Elliot at greenLB@gocatalyst.org.

Click here to see photos from this year's Festival!

LBCreative! Mixer

Be sure to come by and connect with other artists at the LBCreative! Mixer every last Monday of the month. Our next mixer will be on Monday, June 27th from 7-10pm at Exhibit [A] Gallery, 555 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802.

Girls Nite Out!

On Friday, June 25th at 7:00pm at Catalyst Space, the H.O.P.E. Foundation, Inc. is hosting a pilot women's empowerment group that will bring women together to watch a "chick flick" and will discuss the movie afterwards. Women can email their favorite chick flick and the most popular movie will be chosen. Pizza, drinks and popcorn will be served.

This is a chance for women to meet other women in their community and share opinions, personal stories, likes, interests, and to just empower each other.

This is a pilot group. If this works, we would like to meet and have movie nite once a month, choosing movies women have submitted. Contact Pamela at foundhope2009@gmail.com.