You Never Walk Alone

By Jacqueline Deblase

Illustration By Gerricka Dacpano

Community feels like magic, doesn’t it?

Regardless of what it looks like or how you find it, there’s just this blissful feeling about your life being a constant thought in someone else’s world.

For me, I cherish the ecosystem my three vibrant roommates and I have engineered. Opening myself up to it was scary, but without them, I wouldn’t be writing this.

Without our dinner dates, our “let’s binge the entire season” days, our rant sessions, or our evening neighborhood walks, I wouldn’t be whole.

That’s the beauty of community, of a genuine third space where your raw self can be seen. I know it’s hard to put yourself out there, but these treasure troves do exist.

The Long Beach Walking Club is one of them. Founded by Evelyn Avila in April 2023, this sisterhood has bloomed throughout the Long Beach area, and every day a beautiful soul is encouraged to join.

“In the beginning, there was a few girls that would show up, and then there were some days that nobody would show up and it was just me,” Avila said. It didn’t become the club it is today immediately, but she didn’t stop putting herself out there.

As a Long Beach native, Avila cherishes this city like it’s her own backyard — and well, it sort of is!

When she moved to Downtown Long Beach in 2021, she began her journey of self-proclamation.

By walking on the stained sidewalks and passing by the hidden gems of downtown, Avila hoped to maintain her fitness lifestyle while also meeting people the good old-fashioned way: organically.

Her walking journey became a prized possession, so with inspiration from other walking accounts on social media — and being a Marketing graduate — she knew sharing these moments online could give someone else that same inspiration, but it was a challenge and Avila almost gave up.

However, in July 2022, Avila met Kat, Liz, and Mil — who is the Vice President of the club today — and the sisterhood took root. “They really saw the potential in the club,” she said, “and they saw the potential in me, and really pushed me and supported my ideas.”

From there a steady group of women began coming to the walks every week, and suddenly, Avila wasn’t walking alone anymore.

“I think this club has really pushed me to grow. When I’m out there, I’m not representing myself, I’m just representing the club,” Avila said.

Six months after the club was planted, wellness, service, and community became the established pillar values to guide what the members and team can create with each other.

“Through movement, we empower each other to lead richer, more fulfilling lives.” That is their message of wellness according to the club’s website.

Around four to five walks are hosted every month, where members can make friends in a neutral space, and feel a fiery sense of belonging through acts of self-care.

They provide pilates, boxing classes, or their most recent self-defense class for the community to improve bodily connection and confidence. Members also explore wellness through yoga, skin care mixers, and mental health sessions.

“There was no blueprint. We’re trying to make this beautiful thing even better for everybody,” Avila said, and the goal is always to share that uniqueness with the Long Beach Community.

It’s no wonder service guides the club’s heart and soul, so members can give back to so many different communities.

“We like to help our community, and the way we do that is by supporting local businesses. I get to show them all of the cool different areas in their community and businesses that they might not know of,” Avila said.

It could be events like cleaning up Junipero Beach this past Earth Day or providing school supply donations for local families with WomenShelter of Long Beach.

It could be donating to the New Life Beginnings Shelter during Women’s History Month or working with the Long Beach Community Table to feed the community by building garden beds.

These women are empowered to recognize the community we come from, work together to see it thrive and become only the best versions of ourselves, not only through service but through community.

In September 2023, the club started hosting social hours, and it has been a beautiful way to know your fellow walking gals on a deeper level.

It started small, with just 20 women meeting for dinner and sharing something positive in their life recently, but the impact was felt by everyone.

“A lot of people didn’t know each other, but by the end of the night, we were all friends,” Avila said. Now, they host themed events like “Neon Nights,”

“Summer Beach Bash,” and “Wild West Hoedown,” making social hours a club staple.

“[It’s] a way for women to gather in a safe place in the evening in Long Beach and connect further,” Avila said.

The most recent social hour, “Ghouls Night Out,” that happened on Oct. 17, invited members to a spooky costume party where they can socialize, possibly win a prize for best costume, and enrich their community.

Some of these women may never have met their closest friends without the club, and that’s the beauty of community.

“Our members are so diverse, they come from everywhere and I think that’s beautiful,” Avila told me.

These brave and generous women, who put their hearts into the club and strive to build lasting connections, have tended to this club like it is their own community garden.

And community is found on all levels, even within the club’s team. “We have team bonding days, where we just hang out together and catch up. It’s like a real fostering [of a] friendship,” Avila said.

The club is volunteer led, so every ounce of effort going into it is through dedication by the ambassador teams, which include social media, philanthropy, and community outreach. The ambassadors have only been operational since January 2024, but they are like gravity for the club, maintaining the values and making sure every member gets the best experience.

When the club sprouted a new leaf overnight in February of this year, growing from 2K to 10K followers, the ambassador team provided for the growing community, so the club could uplift everyone.

“With the support of the ambassador group it’s grown to be a really beautiful thing where everyone really is empowered in their role,” Avila said regarding their surprising popularity.

Through the club, anyone can find purpose. There is dedication, respect, support, and most importantly, love for each other and for Long Beach.

“I hope that [the members] made connections and real friendships, that they no longer need the club. Then that means that it works,” Avila said.

No one should feel like they can’t make a difference or belong to something beautiful, that’s why the walking events and fitness events are completely free to join. Every woman is welcomed, and everyone deserves access to living a beautiful life.

Don’t be afraid to take that step, the women of the Long Beach Walking Club are waiting for you with open arms, and they can’t wait to meet you.

If you’re looking to join the club, you can find them on Instagram @longbeachwalkingclub!