By Natalie Glezen, 2025 CLA Intern
It’s amazing how much I’ve learned in these last seven weeks, not just at my host office but about Los Angeles and Little Tokyo in particular. Exploring the events put on in and around the county has been one of the best parts of CLA.
On July 13th, I joined an Ocean Wise x GOT BAG beach cleanup with my co-interns, Imani Lee and Jonathan Silverman. My first clean up in Playa del Rey, I was excited to be at the beach while learning about Ocean Wise. We cleaned trash along the shore, noting how much broken glass and hard plastic hid in the sand. We chatted with other volunteers, many of whom were family and friends that did community service regularly. I learned that Ocean Wise hosts several cleanups along the west coast, often partnering with brands like GOT BAG to give volunteers fresh fruit, snack bars, and outdoor attire. Their staff, one of whom was a registered nurse (more on that soon), had a paper and digital system with which volunteers could track how much trash they collected and what type they found.
I learned from this cleanup that when it comes to nonprofit work, constant community outreach and organizing are imperative. To remind people of Ocean Wise’s work, they regularly host and post about their cleanups. Their digital outreach and social media activity keep people engaged. I learned about this beach cleanup through an Instagram post shared in the CLA group chat.
Applying this to my CLA community engagement, LA-based social media accounts and content creators have been critical to finding political and social events. This reaffirmed for me that updating people about what your organization is doing is just as important as the work itself. As fun as the cleanup was, it took an unexpected downturn when I got stung by a stingray. Fortunately, my friends and the nurse from Ocean Wise helped me through the situation. Although it cut the event short for me, I was still happy that I met new people and cleaned the beach.
Last Tuesday, my family and I attended Tuesday Night Cafe in Little Tokyo. Nestled at 120 Judge John Aiso Street, the Tuesday Night Project has hosted this showcase for 27 years.
Before the show, I perused the stalls and chatted with local artists selling zines, home bakers donating their profits towards refugee aid, and AANHPI nonprofits offering language translation services. The actual show featured three poets and a singing duo, most of whom were performing their pieces for the first time. Lastly, I watched short films made by youth in the Gaza Strip, learning about the nonprofit that funds and translates their work for global audiences. This event reminded me of the spaces I had at UC San Diego and in the greater community– spaces whereart, activism, and education intersected. I also loved that my family saw a bit of my interests(especially because CLA has been keeping me booked and busy)!
