During the holiday season, not every child is blessed with the warmth of a cozy jacket, but the Grover Beach Rotary Club and the Boys and Girls Club strive to help these children. Since 2003, the Grover Beach Rotary Club and the Boys and Girls Club have worked together to purchase and provide coats for local youth in need across the Five Cities Area. 

Members of the Grover Beach Rotary Club hand-select the coats for the students, personalizing the wrapping and clothing selection. 

“Rebecca [a coordinator for the Boys and Girls Club] sends me a list of names. Then I pass out the list and each member chooses one or two names. Then, they go and buy the jackets,” Rotary Club board member Terry Merlo stated. 

Once the club members select the coats, they then wrap them at their club meeting and deliver them to the Boys and Girls Club. 

“This year we got about 40 coats for the kids,” Britton stated. 

Each coat goes to a student in need. The parents pick up the coat from the club and have the option to either give the coat to the child or save it until Christmas. 

Furthering their efforts, the Grover Beach Rotary Club will also donate a check to the Boys and Girls Club. This money will then be used to purchase toys for local students in need this holiday season. 

“Grover Beach Rotary Club will be cutting a check to the Boys and Girls Club to purchase toys for kids ages two to five,” Grover Beach Rotary Club board member, Joshua Simunich stated. 

The Grover Beach Rotary Club works with the Boys and Girls Club serving the Five Cities youth through the gift of jackets and toys to the club’s most needed members, spreading joy to all this holiday season.