City of Long Beach Announces Awardees for Second Round of Love Your Block Mini-Grant Program

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PRESS RELEASE

Above: Love Your Block 2026 Mini-Grant awardees at the June 23, 2026, kickoff event, which was held at Long Beach City Hall.

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach Office of Civic Innovation has announced the awardees for the second round of its Love Your Block mini-grant program, an initiative that empowers residents to enhance their neighborhoods through community-driven projects. Made possible by funding from the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University. This second round of mini-grants continues to focus on West Long Beach, where three recipients will each receive up to $2,500 in grant funding to support projects that address air quality and transportation efficiency for residents, especially youth and older adults in the 90810-zip code.

"The Love Your Block program equips residents with the tools to enhance their own neighborhoods," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "When we listen to and support ideas that come from the community, we create solutions that truly fit the needs of West Long Beach and help build strong, lasting connections among neighbors."

Each of the three resident-led initiatives will receive mini-grant funding and direct support from City staff, who will help plan and implement the projects by September 2026.

Selected initiatives and awarded projects include:

• Native Shadeways: A greening initiative that will have residents plant native trees and shrubs along pedestrian pathways and transit stops to provide shade, improve walkability, reduce heat exposure, and encourage the use of public transportation.
• Moving at the Speed of Community: A community art initiative that combines public art, walking, biking, and transit through community-designed reflective artwork, encouraging active transportation while strengthening neighborhood connections and promoting cleaner air.
• Native Seeds: A youth-focused environmental education initiative where local youth and residents can distribute native wildflower seed kits to local elementary school students, empowering families to support pollinators, expand neighborhood greenery, and promote long-term environmental protection.

On June 23, 2026, City staff hosted the second round Love Your Block Mini-Grant Kickoff meeting, where they welcomed and onboarded this year's community grant awardees. The event marked the start of the 2026 Love Your Block project cycle and provided an opportunity for staff and community partners to connect with the grantees.

The Love Your Block team will continue to work closely with each awardee to support project implementation, connect them with relevant City departments and resources, and ensure alignment with City policies and community goals.

The first round of mini-grant awardees was awarded in December 2025, with community projects executed and completed in May of this year. In its first round, the mini-grant program awarded five grantees $12,500 in funding, launched four community projects, and made a significant impact in West Long Beach by engaging over 100 volunteers across all projects, planting 50 trees, collecting 27 vapes from high school students, removing more than 31,000 pounds of trash and creating a new educational garden space.

"Love Your Block mini-grants empower West Long Beach residents to shape their community, inspire positive change, and foster neighborhood pride. This initiative unites us, advances environmental justice, and supports our vision for a healthier, more vibrant community," said Vice Mayor and Seventh District Councilmember Roberto Uranga.

Over the past two years, Love Your Block has supported projects aligned with the City's Westside Promise Initiative-a 10-year community investment plan designed to address both current and historic challenges facing West Long Beach by coordinating City efforts, strategic partnerships and targeted investments. Love Your Block connects resident ideas with City resources and community expertise, turning neighborhood priorities into meaningful improvements.

Residents interested in learning more about the Love Your Block mini-grants program are encouraged to follow updates on the Office of Civic Innovation webpage. More information about the Westside Promise is available at longbeach.gov/wsp.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Health Department is available at longbeach.gov/health and on social on Facebook, X and Instagram.

About the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University
The Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University works to advance public sector innovation across the globe by marrying cutting-edge practice with world-class research to transform the culture of government, deliver exceptional results for residents, and inspire trust in public service. Launched in 2021 in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Johns Hopkins University, the Center supports programs that equip local governments to unlock the insight, talent, and energy of their residents in cities across the globe. For more information, please visit publicinnovation.jhu.edu or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.

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