For Westchester residents Sylvia and Arianna Monares, giving back to the community isn’t just something on their holiday to-do list. It’s a year-round commitment that has become the foundation of their lives. From volunteering for Foster for Love to distributing toys and shoes to families in need with the South Bay Social Network, the mother-daughter duo spends much of their free time volunteering throughout Los Angeles and the South Bay. But for these two women, community service is about more than helping others. It’s also a way to honor their family’s legacy of kindness while creating meaningful memories together.
For Sylvia, that legacy began with her own parents.
Growing up in a first-generation Mexican-American family, Sylvia watched her parents open their home to relatives and friends arriving from Mexico, helping them get settled and build new lives in the U.S.A.
Her father, who was completely blind, was particularly influential. Despite living with a disability himself, he was fiercely independent and always willing to lend a hand.
“He had the heart to help others, even though he needed the help himself,” Sylvia says.
Over the years, his generosity created friendships that lasted a lifetime. When he was hospitalized near the end of his life in 2017, he had a surprising number of visitors.
“The whole hospital room was full of people,” Sylvia remembers. “The nurses were amazed at how many people there were.”
For Sylvia, seeing so many people show up to comfort her father was a powerful reminder that kindness has a way of coming back to us. It’s a lesson she’s carried throughout her life and one she has passed along to her only child.
Finding Purpose Through Challenges
Sylvia’s commitment to helping others took on a deeper meaning when Arianna began experiencing serious health challenges.
Arianna has epilepsy and, at one point, her seizures became so severe that she needed a wheelchair and had to complete her final three years of high school through homeschooling.
In 2021, Sylvia left her full-time job at a Westchester escrow company to care for her daughter.
The experience gave her firsthand insight into the challenges families face when caring for a loved one with a disability. She became an advocate for epilepsy awareness, participated in fundraising walks and began looking for ways to help other families navigating similar circumstances.
Arianna also has a special companion helping her along the way: Gigi, her seizure-alert dog. Gigi recognizes when Arianna is having an episode and alerts her family by barking.
“Having Gigi in my life has truly been one of the biggest blessings. She’s not just my seizure alert service dog; she’s my best friend, my protector, and my little sidekick who goes everywhere with me,” says Arianna. “Living with epilepsy comes with challenges, especially because seizures can be unpredictable. Gigi gives me an extra sense of security and independence. When I experience a seizure, she’s there to help keep me safe. Afterward, she’s usually right by my side, licking me and providing comfort and reassurance. She also helps protect me from potentially injuring myself.”
Eventually, a friend introduced Sylvia to Rotary, the international service organization whose motto, “Service Above Self,” immediately resonated with her.
Through Rotary and the South Bay Social Network, a group of small-business owners who collaborate on charitable projects, Sylvia discovered a larger network of people eager to make a difference. And wherever Sylvia went, Arianna wanted to go, too.
Although Arianna still has days when her health requires extra rest, she participates whenever she can.
“She takes her breaks,” Sylvia says. “Then she’s like, okay, I’m ready for the next one.”
Today, Sylvia is a Rotarian with the Hawthorne/LAX/Lennox Club, and Arianna is a Rotaractor, part of Rotary’s network of young adults dedicated to community service.
She currently serves as co-president of the Beach Cities Rotaract Club, where Gigi also lends a paw as the group’s unofficial mascot.
Helping Foster Children
One of their favorite annual volunteer opportunities is “Foster for Love,” a project that brings together Rotary District 5280 members to support children and young adults in foster care.
Volunteers gather to assemble bicycles, skateboards and furniture, and decorate duffel bags filled with essentials, books, coloring supplies and teddy bears.
For Arianna, the duffel bags are especially meaningful.
“The reason why we decorate the duffel bags is because most foster kids carry their belongings in a trash bag,” she says.
The duffle bags the children receive are colorful, practical and entirely their own.
The project has also expanded to include furniture for young adults transitioning out of foster care and into independent living.
Another event particularly close to their hearts is an annual Christmas celebration at the Braille Institute, serving people who are blind or visually impaired in Hollywood.
For Sylvia, it’s a way to honor her late father. The mother and daughter join other Rotarians to serve hot meals, participate in holiday festivities and spend time talking with attendees.
“Because of my dad, we try to give back in remembrance to him,” she says. “My dad always helped people without being asked. Giving back is how our family keeps him with us. At every toy drive or backpack giveaway, I think, ‘He would have loved this.’”
The Magic of Giving
The holiday season is an especially busy time for Sylvia and Arianna. Volunteering with Rotary clubs, the South Bay Social Network, local businesses and nonprofit organizations, they help distribute toys, shoes, food and other necessities to families who might otherwise go without.
One thing Sylvia really appreciates about these charitable events is that families aren’t required to prove their financial hardship to receive assistance.
For Sylvia, the greatest reward comes from watching children’s faces light up when they get to choose a toy, meet Santa Claus or have their picture taken with him.
“We don’t discriminate who actually goes in and asks for the help,” she says. “We don’t get to know the whole story behind what they’re going through.”
For Arianna, one particularly emotional experience occurred while volunteering at St. Margaret’s Center, where she was helping children make Christmas ornaments.
“I got these two little kids and I asked, “’Do you guys want to make a Christmas tree ornament?’” Arianna says.
But the children’s response caught her off guard. They told her they didn’t have a Christmas tree at home to hang ornaments on.
“We take this type of stuff for granted, and these kids, they didn’t even have a Christmas tree,” she says. “I kind of wanted to cry, but I was like, okay, you have to hold it in, you’re with these kids. It broke my heart.”
It’s experiences like these that remind both women how meaningful even the smallest gestures can be.
A Bright Future Built on Compassion
When she isn’t volunteering, Arianna attends hybrid classes at Santa Monica College, where she hopes to study interior design. She also dreams of becoming an author and a health and wellness mentor for people facing challenges similar to her own.
She hopes to offer guidance and confidence to people struggling with medical conditions, reminding them that having a disability doesn’t mean giving up on their dreams.
“My biggest advice is to never let your disability define what you can or cannot accomplish. Living with epilepsy and fibromyalgia has taught me that everyone’s journey looks different, and that’s completely okay,” says Arianna. “One thing I always remind myself is that you’re not as limited as you might think. Sometimes, you just have to take breaks, listen to your body, and understand that it’s okay to do things at your own pace. Being involved in Rotary and Rotaract has shown me that community service isn’t about how much you can physically do. It’s about the heart, dedication, and passion you bring to helping others.”
Sylvia, who has been connected to Westchester since she began working at Betty Betts Escrow in 1995, now has a career as a real estate agent with Rise South Bay and is a mobile notary. The family has lived in Westchester since Arianna was four.
For both women, volunteering offers more than the satisfaction of helping someone in need. It has introduced them to a community of like-minded people who share their belief in generosity, compassion and human connection.
Sylvia says one of the most valuable things a person can give isn’t necessarily money.
“Just show up. Sometimes it’s simply giving your time,” says Sylvia. “Say ‘yes’ to a few events, and your niche will find you. What I love most is the connection: meeting new people and seeing the impact right in front of you.”
Years ago, Sylvia’s father opened his home and heart to people who needed help. Today, his daughter and granddaughter are carrying that same spirit of generosity forward, one volunteer project, one conversation and one act of kindness at a time.
For this Westchester mother and daughter, giving back isn’t simply something they do. It’s part of who they are.
To learn more about Rotary International and the South Bay Social Network volunteer opportunities, contact Sylvia Monares (310) 357-4851 or visit rotary5280.org and southbaysocialnetwork.org.
Story by Shanee Edwards. Photos by Elaina Taylor.