Dear Beach Cities Resident,

As Thanksgiving nears, I like to take the opportunity to think of the people and things I am thankful for.

Of course, this includes my family. My wife and I are now “empty nesters,” and our son has moved to Utah and embarked on his career. My father is in his 90’s now, and I treasure my time with him last month watching the Dodgers and cheering them on to their World Series win – something else I am thankful for. We are fortunate that we will all be able to get together to celebrate Thanksgiving together with other members of my family on hand too.

Not everyone in our community is so fortunate, and many face the prospect of spending the holidays alone, which can make for a challenging holiday season. This is where Holiday Gift Bags come in.

Next month, our team will do a lot of work to gather items, assemble and deliver Holiday Gift Bags for 250 Beach Cities older adults and adults with disabilities. 2024 marks the 26th year of this program, which provides much-needed household supplies and some holiday cheer to some of the most vulnerable members of our community. I am thankful for the hundreds of volunteers who give their time and service to assemble and deliver these gift bags, as well as the many donors who provide the items to make life better for our older adults.

I also want to extend my thanks to the dozens of people who supported BCHD by working on behalf of Measure BC, the $30 million bond which would have facilitated the creation of a permanent home for allcove Beach Cities in Redondo Beach. While we did not get the result we hoped for, I am thankful for the hard work and support of the people who fought for the measure.

Again this year, I am grateful for our BCHD team members who do such great work on behalf of our community, including our board of directors, staff, our dedicated volunteers and the numerous partners who help make this community a great place to live. Thank you for all you do to support our healthy beach community.

Best wishes to you and yours for a happy Thanksgiving.

 
In health,

Tom