Gratitude opens the heart — and as we enter
this season of thanks, we honor the countless
ways our club and community lift one another
up. May this Thanksgiving inspire renewed appreciation for the work we do together
and the impact we continue to create.
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🎤 This Week's Speaker:
Lucia Diaz - CEO of Mar Vista
Family Center & Member of PVSR
For over forty years, Lucia Diaz has been instrumental in shaping this highly impactful
organization. MVFC’s mission is simple yet
powerful: “To help families make positive
changes in their lives.” They pursue this
through three core goals — developing
leaders, enriching education, and promoting
personal growth. Please join us as Lucia
shares valuable insights into the current
landscape of MVFC.
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Food For Friends Presentation
Kathrine and Gail—the creators of Food for
Friends—will be presenting Lucia with 100 gift
cards from Northgate Market to be donated to
families associated with MVFC. Thanks to the
generous contributions made by Kathrine, Gail,
and PVSR members.
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New Member Induction
Tomorrow - Join Us!
We’re thrilled to welcome two new members, Vickie Farmer and Janet Landon, with their
induction being led by District Governor
Elect Brady.
Meet Vickie Farmer:
Service has been a core part of Vickie’s life since
her high school Interact days in the Antelope
Valley, where she served as Vice President and President and worked alongside Rotary on food
drives, community events, and the Rose
Parade float.
Meet Janet Landon:
Janet returned to California from Indiana in
1997 and spent over two decades teaching in
the Westchester community, retiring this year
from WISH Academy High School. During her
career, she received several PVSR teacher
mini-grants and was able to allocate a major
donation to the PVSR Teacher Mini-Grants
fund when closing Westchester Secondary
Charter School in 2017. Her students proudly
represented Rotary in the Pageant of the
Arts, including two first-place winners.
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📸 Wednesday Meeting Captures
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A Heart of Giving -
Adopt-a-Family
It was a grand morning as we split into five teams
to lovingly assemble food baskets—filled with an
array of nonperishables, treats, and a $100 bill -
for our five adopted families. The morning buzzed
with excitement as we prepared for a season of
connection, generous giving, and
heartfelt receiving.
The five teams will now be preparing to deliver
their baskets and meet their adopted families
- continuing the spirit of care and community
that began here.
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Giving Thanks By Giving Back - Senior Citizens Thanksgiving Lunch
It began with a simple conversation with Kirstin
Aceves, Westchester Senior Center Director, on
how many seniors spend Thanksgiving alone,
missing out on the traditional meal we often take
for granted. In response, this past Friday and
with big hearts and teamwork, PVSR prepared a
full holiday feast for 100 seniors—turkey, stuffing,
green beans, mashed potatoes, bread and butter,
and pumpkin pie. It was a true meaning
of thanks-giving!
And this could not have happened without the
efforts of 23 PVS Rotarians and other Volunteers
fully stepping in. In deep gratitude to the following
and all who attended:
Racquel, Janet, Gwen who prepared the food
and Jan who purchased the pumpkin pies.
Lisa and Cantalini’s for the food prep which was
beautifully organized and the buffet line which
ran seamlessly.
Stephanie Younger Group’s generosity for the
lovely flower centerpieces and Bingo prizes
and to Courtney and all the SYG volunteers.
Rob and Gail for their enthusiastic and generous
Bingo contribution adding that final special touch
to an already joyuos day.
Linda for the beautiful balloon decorations and
adding her expert touch to the room's decor.
The amazing young boys from Visitation School
Gabe O’Donoghue, Justin Shoemaker, Tristan
Shoemaker, and Matias Hirschmann who wrote
Thanksgiving cards for each of the seniors and
for Natalie who coordinated that
heart-warming gesture.
Lucy, Dave, Evan, Debbie, Bobbie, Ramona, Jim, and Martha who —along with Grace Leung, President Rotary Mental Health & Wellness Club,
and her mom, Beatrice (Bea) Leung - stepped
up in every way, meeting the seniors’ needs and
ensuring nothing was missed to make the
afternoon pop with excitement and fun.
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Team 5 Spreads Holiday Cheer
Team 5, the Holly Jolly Ho-Hos, delivered their
food basket on Sunday to their adopted holiday
family. The visit was warm and full of positive
energy, with Racquel (team lead), Lisa, and Stephanie representing the team.
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TheArgonaut Article - Best Social/Community Club Recognition
Be sure to grab a copy of this week’s Argonaut and read their non-profit section, where we received first place for Best Social/Community Club. Congratulations, PVSR!
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Mark your calendar for a special Happy Hour
hosted by Brady & Lauri.
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Holiday With MVFC December 6th
📍Mar Vista Family Center
5075 S Slauson Ave.
Culver City, CA
⏰ 11 AM - 2 PM 🎁🎄 Individual Tickets: $50
Family Tickets: $100
Event Toy Drive: Bring a toy
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First Saturday Stroll December 6th
📍Westchester Triangle
⏰ 4 PM - 7 PM
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Winter Fest December 13th
📍Westchester Park
⏰ 9 AM - 1 PM
Pancake breakfast, snow, arts & crafts,
music and more! 🥞🎨🎶 ___________________________________
Rotary Club of Mental Health &
Wellness - Santa Stroll December 13th
📍Hermosa Beach Pier
⏰ 9 AM
Walking from Hermosa Beach
to Manhattan Beach ___________________________________
Santa Tour December 15th
⏰ 5 PM - 8 PM ___________________________________
2026 Rotary Rose Parade Float
The 2026 Rotary Rose Parade Float is one of
the largest and most ambitious Rotary has ever created and decorators are needed to help bring
this float to life. This is an incredible hands on
experience you will never forget.
To sign up to decorate - Go to: www.rotaryfloat.org/decorator-signups/
Imagine sharing with friends and family which
flower you placed on our anticipated
award-winning float!
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WE’RE PROUD TO BE PLAYA
VENICE ROTARIANS
“LET’S GROW - LET’S GLOW!”
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PLAYA VENICE SUNRISE ROTARY Serving our Community since 2005
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