SAN DIEGO -- The Young Professionals Council (YPC) of The San Diego LGBT Community Center invite you to a "Date with Equality" on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 6-8 pm at Heat Bar & Kitchen.

At the event, guests will mix and mingle with LGBT and allied young professionals and community leaders at YPC's February social. The evening will include food, drinks, networking and fun.

YPC is a diverse group of young LGBT professionals and allies, dedicated to the preservation and future growth of The San Diego LGBT Community Center.

According to a recent survey by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the U.S. Census Bureau, 17 million American adults now live in “unbanked” households, while another 51 million are considered “underbanked.”

In other words, over 28 percent of households either have no traditional checking or savings accounts (unbanked); or their basic financial needs aren’t being met by their bank or credit union so they also rely on alternative lenders like check-cashing services or payday loans (underbanked).

(This article was originally published HERE in SDGLN media partner Gay San Diego.)

Meeting Jim Byrd, you will first notice his tall lanky body, visible tattoos, soft blue eyes and easy smile, a close-shaven beard with its well-defined chops, and his whispy, but fashionable hair.

Take some time to talk to him and you will expose a kind, funny, unassuming and respectful Southern gentleman who very outwardly adores his mother.

SAN DIEGO –– San Diego Coastkeeper and the Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Chapter — two of the region’s leading environmental organizations — announce results from their 2012 beach cleanup data collection.

In 2012, more than 4,000 volunteers removed almost 7,600 pounds of trash, about an average of 1.7 pounds per person.