{"id":20099,"date":"2025-03-28T13:35:44","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T20:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/?p=20099"},"modified":"2025-03-28T13:41:44","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T20:41:44","slug":"getting-ready-for-easter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/?p=20099","title":{"rendered":"Getting Ready for Easter"},"content":{"rendered":"
by Noella Noelophile\u00ae<\/h6>\n
\"Bay<\/a>

“Operation Easter Basket”, Bay Shore Church, 2015.<\/p><\/div>\n

On Easter morning, it was there.<\/p>\n

A springtime-colorful new basket, filled with chocolate eggs, marshmallow chicks, and jellybeans.\u00a0 In the center presided a large chocolate Easter bunny.<\/p>\n

That will always be a favorite springtime memory for me.\u00a0 How about for you?<\/p>\n

This spring, nonprofit Community Action Team (C.A.T.) invites you to help them create that magic for children in need, ages 4 to 12.<\/p>\n

\"volunteers<\/a>A community tradition<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every spring, Long Beach community activist\/”Chief Inspiration Officer” Justin Rudd hosts “Operation Easter Basket”.<\/p>\n

This is one of approximately 60 events which C.A.T. sponsors in Long Beach, throughout the year.\u00a0 Their mission: to promote social well-being among the general public–which they do through events celebrating kids, family, animals, the environment and creativity!<\/p>\n

And if you’re in the Southern California area, Justin would like to invite you to be a part of the one-day volunteer event happening on Sunday, April 6th.\u00a0\u00a0 Here’s where you can register.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"bucket<\/a>The experience<\/strong><\/p>\n

From 11:30 am to 3:30 pm, that Sunday, volunteers will gather at Bay Shore Church to assemble around 2,400 gender-neutral Easter baskets.<\/p>\n

This is done assembly-line style: volunteers pick up an empty basket with Easter grass, add personal-hygiene items such as shampoo and body wash, school supplies, socks, a small toy and possibly art supplies.<\/p>\n

And, of course, candy.<\/p>\n

\"Volutneers<\/a>Volunteer shifts for “Operation Easter Basket” are two hours each, and there are three shifts.\u00a0 Heads-up if you want the 11 am to 1 pm shift, though–these seem to be going fast, with only 20 spots left at this writing.<\/p>\n

Baskets get donated to local schools and organizations which have put in a request.\u00a0 Past recipients have included Long Beach Rescue Mission, Boys and Girls Clubs of Long Beach and Tichenor Clinic for Children.<\/p>\n

Not only is the volunteer event an uplifting, inspiring reminder that our world still contains some fantastic people–it’s also a lot<\/em> of fun.<\/p>\n

\"Four<\/a>People arrive throughout the day to donate baskets, and the “basket brigade” gets called into action when an organization arrives to pick up their request.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Volunteers<\/a>And don’t be too surprised if the room erupts in applause, at some point.\u00a0\u00a0 That tends to happen when the goal is reached!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(This year’s goal: 2,400 essentials-filled baskets, according to Justin’s website.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Additional ways to help<\/strong><\/p>\n

But, you don’t have to wait until next week to get involved.<\/p>\n

Operation Easter Basket also needs donations: of supplies, completed baskets and financial contributions.<\/p>\n

Here’s the link to donate online<\/a> if you would like to do so.<\/p>\n

\"candy<\/a><\/p>\n

However, if you’re in the area and would like a more hands-on role, you’re also invited to either purchase and drop off supplies–or assemble some baskets for drop-off at Bay Shore Church’s youth center from 11 am to 2 pm on the 6th.<\/p>\n

If you’re assembling baskets for donation, you’ll find guidelines on this page<\/a>.\u00a0 Each basket should be between $20 and $25 in value, and contain the items mentioned on the “wish list”.\u00a0 And please, no toy guns, water pistols or sprayers.<\/p>\n

\"Table<\/a><\/p>\n

A very Happy Spring, and early Happy Easter, to you!\u00a0 May it be a time of hope, inspiration and community.<\/p>\n

“Operation Easter Basket” hosts their 2025 volunteer event from 11;30 am to 3:30 pm, Sunday, April 6th at Bay Shore Community Church, 5100 East The Toledo, at Granada, in Long Beach.\u00a0 Completed baskets may be dropped off from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm that day at the church’s youth center.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Noella Noelophile\u00ae On Easter morning, it was there. A springtime-colorful new basket, filled with chocolate eggs, marshmallow chicks, and jellybeans.\u00a0 In the center presided a large chocolate Easter bunny. That will always be a favorite springtime memory for me.\u00a0 … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[262],"tags":[777,301,2544,1620,293],"class_list":["post-20099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-all-the-year","tag-operation-easter-basket","tag-community-action-team","tag-community-easter-events","tag-family-easter-events","tag-justin-rudd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20099"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20120,"href":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20099\/revisions\/20120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noelophile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}