A Thanksgiving meal that began in 2017 with 38 Santa Monica College students in a backyard has since served nearly 10,000. As the tradition turns 10, organizers are asking the community to help keep students warm this winter.
The Santa Monica College Foundation is collecting 1,500 new and gently used winter coats ahead of its 10th annual Giving Thanks(giving) celebration Nov. 23-24 on the college’s Main Campus Quad. Donations will be accepted Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Compass Realty, 2115 Main St. in Santa Monica.
The coats will go to students in need during the two-day event. More than 2,500 SMC students and employees are expected to attend for a holiday meal, entertainment and practical support.
Lizzy Moore, president of the SMC Foundation and a co-founder of the event, said one student’s experience shows why the help matters.
“I think of the student who came in with their small child, just trying to make ends meet,” Moore said. “They thought they were there for food. Then they realized we also had a warm winter coat for them, and a grocery gift card they weren’t expecting. You could see it land: someone thought about what they needed before they had to ask.”
“That’s what SMC is about: dignity, care, and grace, offered and received,” she said.
For the anniversary, the foundation will turn the center of campus into a tented lawn strung with bistro lights and paper lanterns. Students and employees will be served a chef-curated holiday meal on real dinnerware with silverware. There will be two seatings each day, from noon to 3 p.m. and from 5 to 8 p.m.
The celebration will also feature live music, DJs, games, wellness activities, coloring stations, a photo booth, a community-made gratitude quilt, quiet zones and sound bath sessions. Students will receive a $25 Albertsons grocery gift card, and giveaways are planned every hour.
“Giving Thanks(giving) is about so much more than a holiday meal,” Moore said. “It’s about making sure our students feel supported, valued, and connected to a community that believes in their potential.”
A student focus group helped shape the event’s format, Moore said. Students weighed the options and felt it was more important “to sit together in person and share a meal with friends, new students, and the SMC community of faculty, classified professionals and managers.” Students loved the event’s history and receiving groceries, she said, but waiting in line for items “felt less personal and more transactional.”
“Sitting together, breaking bread and having fun builds community and togetherness,” Moore said. The event still keeps some basic-needs support, such as the grocery cards and coats, she said, because it “continues to provide the essentials students seek while balancing their academic pursuit.”
Wendi DeMorst, who co-founded the event, said its growth has surprised its organizers.
“When we started Giving Thanks(giving) in 2017 with just 38 students, we never imagined how this simple act of kindness would grow into such a meaningful tradition,” DeMorst said. “Ten years later, our mission remains the same: to ensure every student feels seen, supported and part of a community that truly cares.”
She said the event is about “creating a sense of belonging, building connections and reminding students that they have a family at Santa Monica College.”
More than 70% of SMC’s 26,000 students come from low-income households, and more than half are the first in their families to attend college. According to the foundation, unexpected expenses and financial pressures can make it hard for many students to stay enrolled and complete their education. The rising cost of living has also made basic needs increasingly difficult to meet.
“As a college student, balancing school, work, and everyday expenses can be challenging, and sometimes even the basics can be difficult to afford,” said Aaron, an SMC student. “That kind of support means so much and helps me keep moving forward toward my goals.”
The foundation has set a $250,000 fundraising goal to sustain the event and strengthen resources for students facing food insecurity and other financial challenges. Gifts also support SMC’s Basic Needs Program and Emergency Grant Fund, which provide groceries, hygiene and parenting supplies, mental health services and emergency financial assistance throughout the year.
“The most effective way to support SMC’s Giving Thanks(giving) is to make a contribution to the program,” Moore said.
Money raised beyond event costs will go to the SMC Basic Needs S.A.F.E. Fund, short for Student Assistance for Financial Emergencies. The fund provides emergency financial support to students facing a basic need that is keeping them from performing at their best in school.
The foundation is also looking for volunteers to help prepare and serve meals and run event-day activities.
This year’s sponsors include the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Smart & Final Charitable Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and the Bari Lipp Foundation, among others.
Donations can be made at foundation.smc.edu/thanksgiving. Those interested in volunteering or donating a coat can contact the SMC Foundation at 310-434-4215 or foundation@smc.edu.