Seal Beach Police Foundation Forms to Help Homeless, Elderly, the Community

From a Seal Beach Police Department press release:

For several years, a slowly simmering pot of community service and a heart of need has been beating. As of today, the collaboration and pre-work has been done to announce the newly formed Seal Beach Police Foundation.

“After being involved in the community for years and in discussion with the police department, particularly Sergeants Steve Bowles and Phil Gonshak, along with Chief Joe Stilinovich, it became clear we needed more resources for our police, specifically for unmet needs,” foundation President Marc Loopesko said. 

"Our board members are pleased to announce the launch of the Seal Beach Police Foundation and welcome the entire community to engage with us at our first event, National Night Out on Aug. 5,” he said.

The mission of the foundation is “to provide support to and for the benefit of police officers and employees for the Seal Beach Police Department, including facilitating fundraising efforts and providing funding, training, equipment and resources for the Seal Beach Police Department.”

More simply put, the vision is to ensure, as Vice President Greg Phillips said, “a safe Seal Beach that is good for people, good for business, and good for life.”

Planning began about four years ago, and since February, the police department and community leaders have been meeting to move the vision of the Foundation 
forward.

During its first year, the foundation has identified three key areas in which it is going to focus on:

• The first is supplemental gift cards and resources for the Seal Beach Homeless Liaison Officer so that the officer has addition tools to deal with encounters like a family living out of their car or a transient needs their prescription medication. Currently, there is no tool to do those types of outreach activities.

• Finding a classic or vintage police vehicle is normally the realm of a Hollywood props manager, yet the foundation has identified getting this showcase vehicle for use at community events and education outreach is perfect for our town. This second identified need will facilitate further engagement in neighborhoods and even at future National Night Out type events.

• Finally, by funding an Ombudsman police officer for elder outreach, the police department will be able to connect with a large portion of the population of Seal Beach both in and outside of Leisure World. 

Police Chief Joe Stilinovich fully supports the Foundation.

“It is ideal that the Seal Beach Police Foundation recognizes that the Seal Beach Police Department has very little flexibility to seed new programs and encourage innovation," he said. "The role of the foundation is not to displace funding for basic law enforcement, nor to reduce in any way the responsibility of the city of Seal Beach to commit the necessary funding for law enforcement services for its citizens.”

Board members are: Marc Loopesko, Greg & Gina Phillips, Laura Ellsworth, Scott Newton, Tom Stretz, Vince Bodiford, Erik Dreyer-Goldman, Jeff Crowe, Frank Bursinger and Seth Eaker. All have generously given substantially to bring the foundation to fruition.

During National Night Out, the foundation will be present for more information and to encourage membership by community members, business sponsors and 
groups. For more information, please contact Sgt. Phil Gonshak via email to 
pgonshak@sealbeachca.gov or phone at (562)342-7391.