The holidays are an exciting time of the year that we all look forward to, even if our celebrations look a little different this year. While we settle in to the festivities Our County. Our Kids. is reflecting on what we are thankful for this year.

We thank all the families who generously stepped up throughout the year to provide safe and loving homes for our children and youth in foster care. We thank our community partners who worked tirelessly to provide support and resources to families in need. We thank all the volunteers that came out to all the drive-thru fundraisers and food drop-offs. Finally, we thank each and every community member, who has followed the OC.OK. mission whether in the news, on social media, or right here in our neighborhood!

A special shout out to the organizations and families who helped out during the holiday season, including The amazing Santa Maria Elks Lodge 1538 and their wonderful meal coordinator, Eva Macias, who for the fourth year in a row provided our families with boxes of food for Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as bicycle donations over the years for the kids. We’d also like to give a huge thanks to Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, Santa Barbara CASA, and the incredible family of Richard X. Montoya who graciously supported our families.

By offering your love and valuable support to families, you can make a large impact on their futures moving forward and give them a sense of home, love, light during the holidays.

To get involved, visit ourcountyourkids.org today!