A South Bay resident is organizing a beachfront gift collection walk Sunday, Nov. 15, to support children in local group homes and foster care.

Brianna LaGuardia, founder of The Giving Route, said participants will gather at 8:30 a.m. at Veterans Park, 309 Esplanade, in Redondo Beach. The walk begins at 9 a.m. and follows the Strand toward Manhattan Beach, about four miles one way.

Anyone is welcome, LaGuardia said. She asks each walker to bring a new, unwrapped gift.

The event is part of her first South Bay holiday drive, with donations due Nov. 25. The Giving Route is a volunteer effort LaGuardia runs personally, not a registered nonprofit.

A coat drive that grew

LaGuardia said the effort began in December 2025, when she attended a school event in the Northeast for a child she supported as a special education surrogate parent.

The child lived in a group home. With temperatures below 10 degrees, LaGuardia asked staff where the child’s jacket was. She recalled being told, “she doesn’t get cold.”

LaGuardia organized a coat and winter accessories drive for the school. As donations arrived, she expanded the collection to gifts, bedding and other everyday necessities. A request for shampoo from the child also prompted her to collect hygiene supplies.

Her one-bedroom apartment soon filled with donations. She organized wrapping parties and collected items from local businesses that displayed flyers and donation boxes.

LaGuardia said last year’s effort collected 1,000 items. The donations provided Christmas gifts for five children in one group home, with additional items going to other nearby homes.

Now based in the South Bay, she hopes to build a similar network locally.

“Along the way, I’ve learned that people really want to help but don’t always know how, where to give locally, or have the time to research it,” LaGuardia told South Bay Tide.

Shorter routes and other ways to help

LaGuardia described the walk as easy-paced and family-friendly. She is recruiting volunteers and plans to set up one collection table in Hermosa Beach and another in Manhattan Beach, allowing walkers to choose a shorter or longer route.

She encourages everyone to gather at Veterans Park for the start. There is no planned group finish, and participants should arrange their own transportation back.

People unable to attend can purchase items through The Giving Route’s Amazon wishlist, LaGuardia’s preferred donation method. Orders ship directly to her for sorting, wrapping and delivery.

LaGuardia said donations will be hand-delivered to local group homes and children in foster care. She declined to identify recipients to protect their privacy.

She also hopes to schedule wrapping parties, including opportunities for children to help, though dates have not been announced.

Updates on the walk, collection tables and future events will be posted on The Giving Route’s Facebook page. Questions can be sent to [email protected].