Ian Rich - Serving Others

Nominated by

Cary Rich

Presented by

Dianna MacDonald, City Council Member

About

In 2013, at the young age of 9, Ian Rich founded Operation Blanket, an outreach program for the unsheltered in our community that has donated thousands of blankets to people experiencing homelessness.

The idea grew out of Ian Rich's karate practice, where he first learned the word "compassion." One night, Ian sat down to dinner with his family to discuss what he could do to show compassion for the many homeless people he saw around town. After discussion and wondering what it might take to provide everyone with new homes, he decided blankets might be a more feasible option. Operation Blanket regularly provides blanket deliveries year-round to 9 homeless service agencies throughout Sonoma County. Even when Ian and his family lost everything in the Tubbs Fire, he still conducted his annual drive hosted at Coddingtown Center.

Ian, now 18, is the youngest of six and has five older sisters. He enjoys being an uncle to his nieces and nephews. He lives with his mom, dad, and their dog named Bear!

Thank you, Ian, for being an inspiration to all of us! We are honored to present you with a 2022 Santa Rosa Merit Award.