Dear Beacons Community:
A lot is going on so I wanted to take this opportunity to thank our Board, our Executive Director Kim Kopp, M.A.Ed, the Beacons staff team and volunteers for all the work accomplished this year as we have been "movin' and shakin'" nonstop! As a parent of a "Beaconite" myself, I am grateful and thankful for the seemingly endless dedication and commitment to the mission of Beacons and the individuals Beacons serves.
Speaking of "movin'" ... Beacons has officially moved to 2245 Camino Vida Roble!
More news to follow on this, but since opening our doors in November 2018, Beacons has worked hard to meet the growing demand for support and services in North County for adults with diverse intellectual abilities. Unfortunately, the waitlists for our options continue to grow, which as a nonprofit we hate to see. To enable Beacons to grow and improve its ability to meet the demand, we are expanding a third time and moving from our 3,900 sf space to a 14,000+ sf space to not only be able to operate our current programs at capacity, but also to expand to offer new programs in creative arts and other areas!
Our office will be temporarily closed to enable our team to move on Thursday, September 28, and Friday, September 29. Operations will resume at the new site on Monday, October 2nd. Thank you Board member Janet Schenker for making sure everything went smoothly with our conditional use permit, and Executive Director Kim Kopp as well as all our staff for getting things ready, packed and moved!
Club Beacons Update
Our dedicated team leader Chair Laura Makings has retired as Chair of Club after almost five years of volunteering for the social recreational option. Steps are underway to transition the many roles she tackled to our staff team. Beacons has offered social recreational volunteer-led activities to individuals since it opened its doors in November 2018 thanks to Laura's tireless volunteer efforts and creativity, and the efforts of other Board members and volunteers. At the time Club Beacons started, there were very few recurring social recreational activities that enabled people to get together to hang out and have fun without having to be enrolled in an agency or other program. Other groups have since opened additional options based on the successful model created under her leadership.
Beacons events have traditionally been held twice a month to offer dining, crafts, activities, games, movies, dancing, karaoke, and much more! During Covid-19, Laura volunteered to make sure activities were held virtually up to four times a month to reduce the isolation felt by many during that time. She and former board member Karen Rusnak led efforts to provide "cheer grams" during Covid with the help of the National Charity League Surf Cities to spread some cheer. Her leadership and countless volunteer hours will leave an impact for years to come.
During this transition process and because of the Beacons' move, instead of hosting two events for October, a single "Halloween Bash" will be held at the new space on Saturday, October 14th (6 - 9 pm). Event will have a DJ from Bach to Rock, food and fun! Tickets for the October event are through EventBrite. The next Club event will be held Saturday, December 9th (theme: "Winter Wonderland").
And, speaking of "shakin" ...
Beacons will also host its annual fundraiser: "Let's Glow Crazy!" on November 4th (5:30 - 9:30 pm), which will welcome approximately 200 attendees to the new site for tours, food and dancing. Interested in helping? Beacons is currently seeking donations for its live and silent auction. Please contact Chair Mary Backer for more information.
Want to learn more about Beacons?
Beacons' website
Main Office: 760-448-6230 Executive Director: Kim Kopp, M.A.Ed
For other upcoming events, please take a look at the Beacons Calendar on our home page. Hope to see you at one of them soon!
Lucile Lynch
President Board of Directors
Beacons, Inc.
Board of Directors: President & Chair: Lucile Lynch, J.D.
VP & Treasurer: Mary Backer, M.S. VP: Janet Schenker, M.P.A and MNPM Corporate Secretary: Melanie Landers
Members-at-large: Melissa Collins-Porter, M.A., Charlie Duncan, CFP, Laura Makings & Ana Venegas
Interested in being a board member for 2024-2025? Please contact the Board President
Beacons, Inc. is a public benefit 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation to serve individuals with developmental disabilities in San Diego County, especially North County.
