NONPROFIT SHOWCASE

Beach City Kitties

Katelyn Michele’s nonprofit helps find loving homes for cats

By Haley Beyer & Kamala Kirk

Katelyn Michele has always loved animals, but it was after she rescued her first kitten from the South LA Shelter that she became inspired to start Beach City Kitties, a local nonprofit kitten and cat rescue that serves the Westside, South Bay and surrounding areas. “Bella was supposed to be euthanized the day I got her because she had a small cold,” Michele said. “Before this I was unaware that cats are frequently euthanized in Los Angeles County and county shelters, even small kittens. This is completely unacceptable to me, so I’ve made it my mission to get as many cats out of the kill shelters as I can, and spread the word about the situation to the public.” Aside from Bella, Michele has four other cats that she saved from the euthanasia list — Lil Bit, Jinksie, Willie Jane, and Jem — and a chihuahua named Peanut, who, according to Michele, “also thinks he’s a cat.” Founded five years ago, Beach City Kitties rescues cats and kittens from the streets and high-kill shelters, rehabilitates them, and provides foster families while finding them forever homes. In addition to finding people to foster the cats and kittens, the rescue also has to gather funds to pay for flea medication, vaccinations, spaying/neutering, chipping, and general resources. So far, Beach City Kitties has found homes for nearly 600 cats. There are still thousands without homes, but Michele and her team work hard to do everything they can. Some of the cats they rescue are feral so they have implemented TNR (trap, neuter, release) to help decrease the feral cat population. “In addition to adopting, fostering, volunteering or donating, one of the most important things you can do to help is to promote and practice spay and neuter,” Michele said. “Female cats on the streets can produce up to three litters per year; that’s up to 20 kittens, who in turn can get pregnant as early as four months. There aren’t homes for all of them. This isn’t just a rescue problem, but a community problem. Rescues are very full and volunteer run, and we can’t do it alone. Don’t just get your cats fixed. If you find a stray in your neighborhood, take the initiative. Find a free or low-cost clinic, and take them in to be fixed and vaccinated. Be part of the solution.” At the end of the day, Michele is grateful for the impact her organization has had on the community and animals in need. “It would be wonderful to eventually open up a sanctuary or rescue center so we could take in more cats,” Michele said. “There’s such an overpopulation of cats that many times it takes months to find kitties their forever homes, and we also take in feral or very skittish kitties that are hard to find homes for, so we

Katelyn Michele is the founder of Beach City Kitties, a local nonprofit that rescues cats and kittens from the streets and high-kill shelters, rehabilitates them, and provides foster families while finding them forever homes. would love to have the resources for them to have a safe space to stay as long as needed. I love when adopters send photos of their rescued cats, even years later, and the cat is so happy and living its best life. It’s so good to see after removing them from the streets or a shelter, they’re happy and their owner is happy too.”

Despite living in a world of unlimited digital connectivity, people are experiencing loneliness, anxiety, and disconnection now more than ever. Humans are social beings, and no amount of virtual life adequately replaces the fact that we need one another to be happy. Judaism is a spirituality of connection. Judaism frames life around meaningful cycles that bring people together and inspire building a just and worthy civilization. At Mishkon Tephilo, we live a nourishing Judaism that brings people together, physically and with the wisdom of tradition. Mishkon is a place where Jewish tradition inspires and challenges us to live life with depth. It’s a place to build trusting friendships and a sense of belonging. It’s a place for getting centered, to live with consciousness and conscientiousness. Please join us as we celebrate Chanukah through contemplative spiritual exploration, learning great recipes, expressing ourselves through art, and enjoying meeting new people, as we bring light to the community with our Menorah on our front steps facing the Pacific Ocean. All healing and change begin with you in community. We’re better together.

www.mishkon.org

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The Rotary Club of Westchester, founded in 1950, is one of the Westside’s longest-running service organizations. The motto of Rotary is “Service Above Self” and the Club’s motto this year is to “Imagine a Whole New World.” Our biennial Makeover project in 2023 will be focused on improving the service space at St. Margaret’s Center in nearby Lennox. In addition, we support a number of projects in the Westchester, Venice, and Playa Vista areas such as literacy programs, the SPY program, Airport Marina Counseling Services, and the Westchester Family YMCA. We meet Wednesdays at the Westchester Townhouse and welcome visitors! Our Club is honored to be the sponsoring Club for the causebased Rotarians Fighting Human Trafficking Club that was chartered in our District. The RFHT Club provides educational programs about the issue as well as support to survivors of human trafficking. We do all of this with the help of the community thought our fundraising efforts and volunteering. Are you looking to make a difference in the lives of others – locally, nationally, and globally? Then Rotary may be for you! We hope you all have safe and happy holidays, and please visit us in the New Year!

rotary-westchester.com

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Advertising Works!

Playa Vista Magazine is the only local magazine mailed directly into every address in 90094. Your advertisement will reach a community with a median income of $121,000! And NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2022 Playa Vista with so many families staying Direct closer to home, our readers Happyare closely paying attention to each issue. Find the perfect gift for everyone on your list Holidays

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ISSUE HEALTH & WELLNESS

Ad Space deadline Wednesday, January 18 Publishes January 26

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

For more information, please call 310.574.7655

Meals on Wheels West Part of the Solution to Homelessness

Meals on Wheels West heritage program provides hot, nutritious lunch and a light dinner to seniors in Venice, MDR, Del Rey and Santa Monica. The Food & Shelter helps to keep formerly unhoused people in their new homes by providing a friendly visit, resources that help them reintegrate into society in addition to the meals. MOW West clients also receive weekly phone calls from trained volunteers that monitor the clients’ health and wellness. Clients receive referrals to physical and mental health resources and other social service agencies that provide needed programs. MOW West staff make home visits doing Wellness Checks and assisting clients in accessing our partners including Mode and Wise & Healthy Aging. Independence at Home offers 15 hours of mental health counseling. MOW West delivers to buildings managed by Venice Community Housing, Community Corporation Santa Monica and Step-up. The formerly unhoused are 26% of the total number of people MOW West serves. Over three years the number of formerly unhoused people we serve has grown by 76%. MOW West is proud to be part of the solution to reduce the number of homeless on the street and will continue to provide meals, social interaction and referrals to additional resources.

www.mealsonwheelswest.org

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MOW West will deliver more than 210,000 meals in 2022

DELIVERING MORE THAN A MEAL: MOW West’s core, heritage program that delivers a LA County dietitian approved hot lunch and light dinner to homebound seniors. Our Wellness Check monitors the health and wellness of MOW West clients.

FOOD & SHELTER: As formerly homeless people are housed, MOW West delivers healthy meals and referrals to additional social services that help maintain stability, health & wellness and reintegrate into society.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: Volunteers call clients weekly for friendly conversations that reduce isolation and loneliness. The Wellness Check monitors and reports health & wellness with a focus on mental health. Referrals are made to other needed social service agencies.

SUPPORTING VETERANS ON THE HOMEFRONT: Meals are delivered to veterans of all ages and their spouses at no cost, reducing the isolation of older veterans and helping younger veterans adjust to civilian life.

KEEPING PEOPLE & PETS TOGETHER: Providing pet food and and veterinarian care to clients who have pets living with them at home. Studies show pets make people happier and healthier.

Thanksgiving

REFER

VOLUNTEER

Marianne, Food & Shelter client

DONATE

To volunteer and deliver meals & joy this holiday season, please contact: (310) 394-5133, ext. 2 jen@mealsonwheelswest.org

Learning Through Stories

Westchester/Playa Historical Society studies and preserves the community’s past

By Haley Beyer

The Westchester/Playa Historical Society was founded in 2019 to gather, study and preserve the history of Playa Vista, Playa del Rey and Westchester. It also provides educational and research opportunities to the community through various exhibitions and events. “When people of all ages come into the Discovery Center and actually see what we have here, they are fascinated with the history and can’t believe they never knew what came before us,” said Cozette Vergari, chair of the Historical Society. Vergari grew up in Westchester and lives there with her husband. She left to attend USC, work and travel, but eventually moved back. “I moved back to Los Angeles to be close to my mom, but also because it’s the best city in the world,” Vergari said. “It is full of diversity and opportunity— two things I wanted my children to be surrounded by while being raised. You get the best of both worlds on the Westside specifically. It’s a small town feel while still living in a big city.” Some of the projects the Historical Society has worked on this year include its inaugural exhibit, “Aviation,” along with “Celebrating Women” and “Commemorating Our Hometown Veterans.” In the near future there will be a “Saluting Schools” exhibit as well. The Historical Society’s goals for the future include resurrecting the walking and driving tours that took place before the pandemic. The guided trips took visitors to a number of stops showcasing rare sightings and locations. There is a map currently available on the website for anyone who is interested in doing a tour on their own in the meantime. Running the organization is not an easy task, as preserving artifacts and data is challenging on its own in addition to raising funds for exhibits and displays. Vergari said that volunteering time and donating money are two of the best ways to support the Historical Society. “The best way to help this nonprofit is through donation,” Vergari said. “We are so grateful for our donors. I never want people to forget how important helping each other is. Our population and community are truly giving people. I work in a group of six hardworking, creative doers and each of us wears multiple hats to run the organization.” The Discovery Center is open on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. It is also available for school field trips. “I love my interactions within the community,” Vergari said. “Some people The Westchester/Playa Historical Society was founded in 2019 to gather, study and preserve the history of Playa Vista, Playa del Rey and Westchester.

Introducing Our New Pawrgonaut Pet Page!

Next issue on Jan. 19. Pics needed by Jan. 13. A space where you can share your funniest, cutest and most adorable pet photos once a month. Just email to KKirk@timespublications.com

Be sure to include your pet’s name, your first name and your town.

Community Corp of Santa Monica is a non-profit that restores, builds, and manages affordable housing for people of modest means. For four decades, we’ve worked to make Santa Monica and the west side of Los Angeles more inclusive, caring, and environmentally sustainable. Our work improves neighborhoods, changes lives, and contributes to the distinct character of our region. As a leader in the industry, we know that increasing the supply of affordable housing creates opportunities for working families of modest means to remain housed, contributing to our region’s distinct character and rich tapestry of life. To learn more about CCSM and our work, head to:

https://communitycorp.org/

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Marina del Rey Historical Society celebrated its 15 th Anniversary as an established 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Next year our Gallery will celebrate 10 years open to the public. Reaching these milestones is a great achievement due to the visionaries who started it, the dedicated Board Members and support staff who help to continue its accessibility, and to all our visitors who appreciate learning and supporting the history of Marina del Rey. Donations and your support are needed to continue the digitization of The Dinghy and Argonaut newspapers, the organization of our Archives, and re-designing our Gallery in Fisherman’s Village. A special thank you goes out to Kristen Walker Ph.D., Richard Moore Ph.D., and the “Fab 5” students from CSUN – Nazarian School of Business and Marketing whose class project produced a 5-year business model plan for the Historical Society. For their hard work they werenominated for the “SBI Project of the Year Award”. It is now our mission to implement their work. Your donations will help us achieve our business model, our project goals, improve your gallery experience, and keep our doors open to serve our community. From everyone at the Marina del Rey Historical Society, be safe and have a wonderful and joyous holiday season.

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