A New Year brings on new resolutions. Each year millions of Americans vow to lose weight, to eat healthier, to stop smoking and maybe to volunteer or to be more charitable.

To help you keep your resolutions, we have put together a list of volunteer opportunities in Sacramento.

 If you love animals then this volunteering opportunity may be for you.  The Sacramento Zoo is looking for volunteer as a keeper aide. You will assist the zookeepers with cleaning, feeding and general husbandry to the zoo animals.  You must commit to 4 hours per week and be physically fit.

 Historians will love this volunteer program. Old Sacramento Living Museum needs volunteers to serve as costumed historical characters from the Gold Rush Era to the Civil War. Not comfortable dressing up?  You can also help by conducting research, sewing and more.  Contact kryan@cityofsacremento.org to find out more.

 The Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services is a non-profit organization that proved free, emergency goods and services to over 150,000 men, women and children each month and have a number of volunteer opportunities including:

Food Preparation * Food Distribution * Garden Volunteer * ESL Instructor * Refugee Family Support Volunteer * Cultural Orientation Volunteer * Enrichment Activity Leader * Mentor Volunteers

 CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). Become an advocate for children.  CASA volunteers help children who have been removed from their homes a voice in court.  CASA website.

 Blood donations are always needed.  Check out the Red Cross website to see the next drive near your Sacramento apartment.

 

Long Beach, CA is a great city to live in. It has it all; the Queen Mary, the Ferris Wheel, beaches, restaurants, shopping, theater, music and those crazy oil pumps.  We have put together some ideas for what to do on the weekend in Long Beach, CA

Rocky Horror Picture Show

This cult classic includes audience participation and has been entertaining Americans for decades.  If you haven’t seen it yet, you now can.  The Art Theater at 2025 East 4^th Street in Long Beach from 12:00 A.M. (yep we mean midnight) until 2:00 A.M.

The Mousetrap

The Long Beach Playhouse will be performing The Mousetrap from now until February 12, 2016. This Agatha Christie who-dunnit is a lot of fun for everyone.  The Long Beach Playhouse is located at 5021 E. Anaheim Street, Long Beach, CA.  The play runs most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, check out their website for the schedule.

MLK Celebration

On Saturday, January 16^th celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. at the MLK Peace & Unity Parade at MLK Park at 1950 Lemon Avenue, Long Beach, CA.  The  parade and celebration runs from 10:30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.  and includes entertainment, food and teen and youth activities

When you think about Long Beach, CA you think about Queen Mary, the Aquarium, the seaport, the famous Ferris wheel and maybe even the 1986 mega hit; Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.  And you know you can find fresh fish in downtown and on the wharf, but did you know that Long Beach has over 50 sushi restaurants and is serving some of the most inspired and delicious sushi in California.

We have a list of the most highly rated Sushi Restaurants in Long Beach, CA

Awesome Sushi – 2601 Clark Ave, Long Beach, CA

This local sushi restaurant is awesome, just like the name!  Awesome Sushi is a casual, low-key sushi restaurant is a sake bomb kind of place with friendly staff, happy hour and delicious sushi, sashimi, salads and rolls.

Chefs Pat and Bobby serve up some of the best sushi in Long Beach.  Enjoy Happy Hour Monday – Friday from 3:30 – 6:30.  Awesome Sushi offers lunch and dinner specials, special rolls like their signature Awesome roll with salmon and avocado, topped with Yellowtail and a fresh jalapeno, finished with butter, ponzu sauce and fried garlic. (Hot and Tasty).  Try their fried Show Girl roll with shrimp tempura, avocado, cream cheese and banana peppers. They offer low carb and vegetarian rolls like the Yellow Monster roll which has tempura carrots and pumpkin topped with mango, a spicy, sweet sauce and tempura flakes.

While sushi restaurants aren’t typically known for deserts, Awesome Sushi is an exception, customers love their Black Sesame Seed Brulee, Cheese Cake Tempura and Fried Bananas and Ice Cream.

Sushi Kinoya – 5521 E Stearns St, Long Beach, CA 90815

Sushi Kinoya is a small, clean Sushi restaurant is decorated with colorful paper birds and white lights.  The welcoming staff wears Hawaiian shirts and are entertaining.  The menu is extensive and includes  sushi, sashimi, nigari, tempura and salads.   They have 50% beer off Beer and Sake.  Their specials include a 911 sushi roll, jalapeno Yellowtail sashimi and the crispy onion albacore which includes salmon with a crispy onion topping.

Mango Rock and Roll which look like lollipops and combine fresh tuna and mango; so delicious!

 Kihon Sushi + Japanese Tapas – 5662 E. 2nd St. Long Beach, CA 90815

Like many of Long Beach’s Sushi Restaurants, Kihon is located in a strip mall, but don’t let its humble exterior fool you, this is not your run of the mill sushi restaurant.  Their fish is fresh and their rolls are creative, try the Big Lebowski, or the scallops and kiwi, golden eye snapper, soft shell crab and so much more.

They offer tempura ice cream and have a small list of wines, craft and Japanese beers, as well as sake.