Image courtesy of Long Beach Time Exchange.

The Long Beach Time Exchange was born five years ago, when a group of community members came together to fulfill three needs: connecting people to services, connecting people to people and connecting people to value. On Saturday, October 10, the organization will host its five-year anniversary celebration at Seaside Park from 12:00PM to 3:00PM.

“This event is about coming together to celebrate the immense gifts in our community,” said Karen Sok, Long Beach Time Exchange steering committee member, in a statement.

The free event will showcase services and skills offered by locals, a picnic and performances by Nina Fernando, Jordan High School’s Latin American Student Society International Dance Program, Teatro Jornalero Sin Fronteras, Aztec dancers and Spanish fusion band Romero Y Perez.

The anniversary celebration is co-sponsored by Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez of the First District, who encourages all Long Beach residents to come out and enjoy the celebration.

“Congratulations to the Long Beach Time Exchange on their 5th anniversary,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “I am pleased to be co-sponsoring such a wonderful occasion.”

The Long Beach Time Exchange is a grassroots organization and is connected to the Building Healthy Communities initiative in Long Beach, which seeks to improve overall community health through strategic communication.

Since 2010, the organization has grown into a sharing network with over 800 members who have exchanged more than 14,000 hours of service with one another, according to the release.

“I earn credits by tutoring and coaching writers and have spent them to receive computer help, furniture repair, and life coaching,” said member Desiree Kannel in a statement.

When a member helps another member, he or she earns credits for the amount of time they spent and can then use those credits to receive anything else that’s offered in the network.

“I took the hours I earned from coaching Desiree and got ukulele and Spanish lessons,” said member Rondii Colson in a statement. “I love the time exchange because it helps me stay connected to Long Beach’s diverse community.”

For more information about the Long Beach Time Exchange, click here. To visit the Facebook event page for updates, click here.

Seaside Park is located at 14th Street and Chestnut Avenue.