July 9, 2021 - Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath, District 76, honored Beacons with a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the California State Assembly for its “commitment and dedication to continuing to support our communities,” and its “resilience in weathering the challenges of the past year.” Beacons became known to families throughout San Diego County because it never shut down during the state's shelter-in-place order and transitioned to virtual support by the next business day to make sure that services to its trainees remained uninterrupted. Beacons was also able to provide chromebooks and other devices at no charge to the individuals it served to ensure that they had access to the internet. Robust kits of activities were also provided so that trainees could continue their learning online with individual tools and supplies at home at no cost.
Club Beacons, the social recreational arm of the nonprofit, and its Leadership Council also remained operational to reduce social isolation, which is commonly experienced by many individuals with developmental disabilities because of transportation barriers and the lack of a driver's license. Beacons Board member Laura Makings (who volunteered along with her team of volunteers) ran the online social events and actually increased the social options for engagement to provide more online opportunities than typically provided during regular operation of the nonprofit to the relief of many stuck at home.
To bring good cheer to those at home, Beacons also ran a cheer-gram with the NCL Surf City chapter to create caravans with yard signs to make sure people knew they were not forgotten. Over fifty people participated during the caravans
