A winter wonderland highlighting community and connection is coming to North Long Beach, courtesy of one of its most grassroots organizations, Norfside LB Outreach.
In 2020, a small group of north side residents banded together to help their neighbors in need of food. Posted in front of Ricardo’s Nursery, handing out groceries in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they began asking themselves, “what else can we do to live up to the values we claim?”
Entirely through donations (and occasionally with money from their own pockets), the Norfside LB Outreach volunteers run monthly supply distribution events for North Long Beach’s houseless community. The group has learned from one another and taught themselves how to budget efficiently, where to get the most bang for their buck and create meaningful connections with the people they serve.
“I wanted to give back to my community where I grew up, and I think the work that Norfside Long Beach is doing and what they’re focusing on is very important and very special to the community,” Kimberly Patron, one of the newest members of the organization, said.
This Sunday, Norfside LB Outreach is returning with their largest event of the year: The Norf Pole. With a Y2K photo booth, live music and DJ sets, arts and crafts, authentic Mexican food for purchase and over a dozen vendors and resource booths, the event is aimed at connecting neighbors with one another while raising funds for the local houseless community.
Norfside LB Outreach hopes the event will act as a soundboard for North Long Beach residents, so as the organization grows, they can meet people where their needs are. The grassroots organization is also looking to grow in membership and hold more free events that invite genuine connection.
“We’re very much looking to grow and wanting to see what there is a desire for,” said Carlos Omar, a founding member of Norfside LB Outreach. “We’re from this area but we don’t know everything and everyone’s experiences, so we want to see what needs other people have and to create symbiotic relationships, almost like a mutual aid network.”
Funds raised at The Norf Pole will go toward purchasing supplies and food for their monthly distributions, and the group will also be accepting monetary donations or items such as new or gently used clothing, hygiene kits, pet food and supplies and more. Those unable to donate or purchase anything are still highly encouraged to attend this free community event, Omar said, bringing only “a good energy and a willingness to engage.”
“We’re wanting to provide that ‘third place’ setting outside of work and home where you can connect with others,” he continued. “That connection is a really powerful tool for helping people feel empowered and connected to each other.”
Free activities at the event will include a photobooth and Christmas polaroid craft provided by The Saturation Room, in collaboration with Cali Car Plug who is bringing a 1977 Volkswagen Bus to accompany the photo ops. Attendees can enjoy DJ sets all day, and a special live performance from Long Beach hip-hop artist Donnie Waters at 12:30 p.m., offering a blend of rap, hip-hop and cultural influences.
Local organizations Long Beach Residents Empowered, which focuses on housing justice and ÓRALE (Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation and Empowerment), which fights for immigrant rights, will both have booths at the event. Norfside LB Outreach will also have their own table so residents can learn about volunteer opportunities.
Vendors for purchase will include Mama Patron, a mother and daughters-run business selling homemade Mexican food; Wittle Weslie, an artist selling prints, stickers and clay trinkets; LBC Flans, a local mother who will be selling the Mexican dessert dish; Patron Feels, a small business selling secondhand clothing, jewelry and handbags; Pinhead Puppet who will be selling pottery pieces and jewelry; Ianna Handbags selling handcrafted cloth bags; Iyara Creations, selling handmade jewelry with a Mexican influence; and art from local artist Stephanie Gonzalez.
Kimberly Patron, who runs the Patron Feels business, had her first-ever booth at last year’s Norf Pole event, and will be returning this year while celebrating her one-year anniversary.
“I’m very grateful for the experience I had vending last year,” Patron said. “It encouraged me to keep going and trying out different markets so I’m excited to come back this year. I only hope we can do the same for all of our vendors this year.”
The Norf Pole will take place at Black Ring Coffee Roasters (5373 Long Beach Blvd.) on Sunday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free, and donations for the houseless community are highly encouraged. If you have any questions, message @norfsidelb_outreach on Instagram.
