Rotary members Ryan Akins and Natalie McClellan ( far right) present a check to PPTFH members Sharon Kilbride (left) and Sharon Browning at the Bel Air Bay club.
At its monthly meeting, held at the Bel Air Bay Club on November 12, the Palisades Rotary Club welcomed perspective members and enjoyed the camaraderie of neighbors.
The beach-front room, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, provided the perfect atmosphere for guest speaker LeeAnn Robinson, the Assistant Governor of Rotary District 5280 to speak on “Your Rotary Roadmap: The Rotary Spirit of Service.”
Past Palisades Rotary President Jeff Leman is serving on the Rotary District 5280 Charitable Foundation to discuss and award grants through Rotary’s Los Angeles Wildfires Relief Grant that is supporting recovery and rebuilding efforts.
District Governor Albert Hernandez wrote in a message “Thanks to your compassion and commitment, our District has received over $1.3 million in funding to support relief and recovery efforts. A special thank you to ShelterBox for partnering with us and launching a generous $100,000 matching grant opportunity that helped galvanize even more support. Together, we have already allocated over $325,000 in humanitarian aid.
Two Palisades schools have received Rotary Grants and an upcoming story will highlight those grants. Additionally, this Saturday, November 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Rotary will join with GEM USA West and Pali Long Term Recovery group at the American Legion to offer aid and supplies to fire survivors.
Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness (PPTFH) former co-chairs, Sharon Browning and Sharon Kilbride were awarded a $1,000 check for the Task Force.
Browning thanked the club and said, “This will go a long way for supplying brown-bag lunches and hygiene kits.” She explained that when the homeless come to pick up a lunch there are social workers, hired by the Task Force to speak to the people. “It’s a safe way for people to begin to work with us.”
Browning is now working on communications and fundraising for the Task Force. With money raised, “We can keep our paid outreach team.” She also said that PPTFH is important because “We care about our community and we care about our homeless community.”
Kilbride is now the head of enforcement for the beach detail. She explained that when the task force was first formed in 2014, there were about 150 homeless people embedded in the community – mostly in the hillsides. Eventually they were offered help and the encampments cleaned.
Last month, a Hillside Taskforce was convened with law enforcement officials, and on that day, seven old encampments were found, but no active sites.
Kilbride credited the great work they were doing because of a partnership with LAPD Beach Detail, which is led by Officer Adam Margin.
Kilbride said that volunteers with Margin’s help have found and removed 209 abandoned encampments since January 2025.
“LAPD beach detail has engaged 224 individuals,” Kilbride said, “has cited or arrested 29 individuals.”
She too expressed thanks to the Rotary for their financial support.
The evening concluded with people reciting the Four-Way Test:
Of the things we think, say or do
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
To learn more about Palisades Rotary: click here.