From Holidays to Hope: Reflecting on a Season of Supporting the Communities We Serve

The holiday season is a wonderful time to reflect on the importance of community and the joy of giving.

At Nuvision, everything we do is driven by a commitment to help our members and the communities we serve. As the year winds down, we want to take a moment to look back at the ways we’ve made a difference together. From supporting families during the holidays to ensuring students had the resources they needed, this season has been all about giving back and showing what it means to be part of the Nuvision community. Here’s a look at some of the incredible things we accomplished, thanks to the generosity and effort of so many.

California: Spreading Cheer and Making Connections

Together, we made a big difference for children this holiday season!

December was packed with events that brought smiles and holiday cheer to local families across California. It started with the Huntington Beach Shop with a Cop, an annual tradition we’ve been proud to support for three years. This year’s event paired 50 kids with local police officers for a full day of festive fun. The morning kicked off with breakfast at Woody’s Diner, followed by a shopping spree at Target where kids picked out gifts for themselves and their families. Santa even made an appearance to meet the kids, and the day ended with gift wrapping at the Market Broiler. Nuvision volunteers were on hand to help wrap gifts, making sure every detail felt special. Seeing the joy and gratitude from the children and their families reminded us why these events are so important.

The next day, we kept the momentum going with the Costa Mesa Shop with a Cop event. For the second year in a row, we partnered with local law enforcement to bring some holiday magic to 20 kids from the area. With the help of our volunteers, the kids were able to select and wrap gifts that made their holidays a little brighter. Events like these highlight the power of community partnerships and the difference we can make when we come together.

Our support didn’t stop there. Nuvision volunteers also joined forces with Robyne’s Nest to assemble 200 holiday food bags for students facing food insecurity. These bags ensured that high school students had enough to eat during their winter break, a time when many struggle without access to school-provided meals. It was humbling to know that these efforts helped provide a sense of stability for so many young people and their families.

Our annual NuvisionCares Holiday Toy Drive also made a huge impact in California this year. Nuvision’s NuvisionCares Holiday Toy Drive helped bring the joy of the holidays to less fortunate children and families in our communities.  

For a number of years, Nuvision has been hosting the toy drive to help families in our communities throughout Southern California -- and this year we added the Bay Area with our new branches in Martinez and Berkeley -- bringing joy of the Holiday Season to disadvantaged children and making a positive impact on their lives.

Thanks to the generosity of our members, team, and local communities, we collected 500 toys for programs like Toys for Tots. These donations didn’t just brighten the holidays for kids—they showed the strength of the Nuvision community coming together to support those who need it most.

Every year, we are proud to join forces with Toys for Tots and make it our mission to bring as many toys as possible to underserved children in our community. Nuvision has long worked with Lieutenant Colonel Graham (retired) during our annual toy drive in Southern California, who serves as part of the Marine Corps League and the Marine Corps Reserve, where he has dedicated himself for almost 20 years to collecting toys for the Toys for Tots program.

The Lt. Col. notes that the partnership with Nuvision has really helped Toys for Tots, especially since COVID-19.  When COVID hit a few years ago, Toy’s for Tots experienced a drop in donations, but Nuvision’s dedication remained a consistent presence in helping provide gifts to less fortunate children.

“Nuvision has a tremendous impact on our efforts each year and is one of our largest donators to Toys for Tots,” noted Graham. “Between their in- branch and online efforts to collect donations, they have helped make a real difference for the people and communities we help during the holidays each year.”   

Once the toys are collected from Nuvision, they are carefully transported to Seal Beach Naval Station for sorting. Volunteers along with Marines organize the toys for distribution, ensuring that each child receives a gift that is just right for them. The toys are then delivered directly to families, as well as to local churches, shelters and other community organizations that rely on Toys for Tots to help children.

Alaska: From Toys to Gift Cards – How we are Supporting Alaska’s Kids

In Anchorage, we participated in the Shop with a Hero event, a favorite tradition that brings kids and law enforcement officers together for a day of holiday shopping and connection. Fifty kids were invited to participate, many of whom had faced challenges throughout the year. After shopping for gifts, they received a bonus surprise: toys from the Nuvision Holiday Toy Drive, generously donated by our members. Volunteers from Nuvision helped wrap the gifts and hosted a hot cocoa station, adding even more warmth to a special day.

Through partnerships with local organizations like Project Angel Tree, Operation Children’s First, and others, we also collected toys at our branches in Fairbanks, Juneau, Kenai, and Wasilla. These toys went directly to families in need, ensuring that no child was left out during the Holiday Season. Officer Sean Keating of the Anchorage Police Department shared his appreciation for these efforts, saying, “The Nuvision Holiday Toy Drive helps elevate Project Angel Tree by ensuring no child in the program is going without gifts on Christmas.”

Another highlight was our involvement in the Lisa Whitmore Shop with a Cop & Firefighter event. For the fourth year, we donated gift cards to help children from local homeless shelters shop for gifts. Sgt. Jon Butler, of the Anchorage Police Department highlighted the impact of this event stating, "These efforts light up the season, bringing joy and smiles that will warm hearts and create happiness for children facing challenging times on Christmas morning. Thank you Nuvision for making this Christmas bright." Paired with police officers and firefighters, the kids received not only presents, but also a chance to experience the joy of the season in a supportive and festive environment. 

Wyoming: Supporting Families Across the State

Our branches in Cheyenne and Casper made a big impact through our participation in the Toys for Tots program, collecting more than 150 toys to brighten the holidays for local children. These donations ensured that kids in Laramie and Natrona Counties had special gift to open on Christmas morning. It’s incredible to see how small acts of kindness can grow into something much bigger, and we’re proud of the generosity shown by our members and team in Wyoming.

More to Come: Growing Our Commitment to Giving Back

Everything we accomplished this year—every toy collected, every gift wrapped, every meal provided—was possible because of the people who make up the Nuvision community. Together, we made a big difference for children this holiday season! Your support and involvement allows us to make a meaningful difference, not just during the holidays, but throughout the year.

As we look ahead to next year, we’re excited to continue finding new ways to serve and support our members and neighbors. Thank you for being an important part of this journey with us. Together, we’re building something truly special.