The Legacies of Hope dinner, was an evening of storytelling and community, gathering many of People Helping People’s most dedicated supporters to the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos on October 17, 2025.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of this year’s Luminary Awards, for those who have given in extraordinary ways to support the mission of People Helping People (PHP).
This year’s recipients are the Becky Barieau and Billy Wathen Family, Feed the Valley with Chef Daisy and Greg Ryan, and the Brady Family.
Local Chumash artist Beau Armenta created the one-of-a kind art pieces that were presented to the honorees. The magnificent copper sculptures were individualized to reflect the recipient’s contribution – a ceremonial knife for Barieau’s strong board leadership, soup ladles for the founders of Feed the Valley, and a bowl to honor the generous nature of the Brady Family.
Becky Barieau, PHP Board President, who’s been engaged with People Helping People for 16 years, was honored for her visionary leadership and extraordinary philanthropy. “This is a great place where we live. But this great place needs care – the whole community needs care,” said Barieau.
She told the crowd of 130 that this is a challenging time for PHP because of cuts in government funding, making personal gifts more important than ever to help vulnerable residents.
Daisy and Greg Ryan, proprietors of Bell’s Restaurant in Los Alamos, founded “Feed the Valley” during the pandemic, mobilizing other chefs, restaurants, and neighbors to create delicious meals for those in need. Chef Daisy said the effort began for her with the question, “What am I doing for the greater good?”
Now five years later, the organization has served almost 50,000 meals to food insecure people in the Santa Ynez Valley with the help of others in the food industry and People Helping People. Greg said the effort has, “transcended everything we were hoping for.”
Mike Brady gives to PHP in simple ways like packing food for distribution, building an outdoor food pantry, and by giving generously in transformative ways.
In his remarks he referred to the three basic things we all need – food, shelter and dignity.
Brady said, “Isn’t that what People Helping People is? Isn’t it that small boost that allows people to go from just wanting food and just needing to have a place to live, to having a sense of self-worth and dignity? If we can do that for people, we enrich their lives and they enrich ours”.
This has been a very eventful year for PHP as they paid off the mortgage on their building, dealt with a structural problem from water intrusion, helped move clients into new affordable housing at Polo Village, and changed the way they provide services to low-income people by becoming the Valley’s first MediCal provider.
That entails expanding their mission to provide community-based supports like helping clients find housing in addition to food and health services.
One delightful surprise of the evening was the reprise of a video honoring the mother of Tribal Chairman Kenny Kahn, the late Rachel Pace. It traced Pace’s journey as she went from receiving support from PHP to being on its board. The Santa Ynez’s Band of Chumash Indians was a Luminary Award recipient last year and have been longstanding supporters.
The Legacies of Hope dinner ended with a candle lighting that signified 100% giving among the guests to support PHP’s work to provide essentials to vulnerable people of the Santa Ynez Valley.
As a drone circled overhead marking the moment all the candles were lit, PHP CEO Erica Flores expressed her gratitude to all those who are part of PHP’s story, who lift up their neighbors, and have invested in our community over the last 33 years.
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