Elizabeth Denny
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
Elizabeth Denny is a core part of our Los Osos community. The work she does under the movements she has started, Positive Change Movement and Pawsitive Rescue Network, are extremely important to Los Osos.
This year she has done numerous community projects, some recent examples include; volunteering with Animal Services, 40 significant acts of community service for her 40th birthday, and a very successful food drive during November 2025.
She would help anyone anytime and is always here to support our community.
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
I have known of her for over 20 years.
She has many community based interests. Many my family have been apart of, or have benefited from
Positive change movement, and pawsitive rescue network
Improvements to the lives of myself and those around me.
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
Elizabeth has been a shining example of dedication to the Los Osos community. She is the founder of The Positive Change Movement and her contributions to Los Osos throughout the 2025 year are countless. She has collected food and raised money for the families of LO that are in need. Currently she is spearheading a toy drive for foster kids. Given out popsicles and seeds to local children as part of her 40 for 40 efforts. She is the perfect candidate for Citizen of the year. She's the best!!
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
Elizabeth runs the Positive Change Movement, providing necessary resources to families and children in need across the Los Osos community
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
Insanely wonderful member of Los osos and the world. She constantly improves the lives of everyone around her.
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
She has done so much for the Los Osos community this year, especially when she stepped up and offered to provide a food pantry when SNAP benefits went away, in addition to providing a toy drive this year for children. I was gladly a part of one of her 40 for 40 birthday endeavors where she had multiple "giving" opportunities for her birthday and one of them was writing cards to veterans, cancer patients, and elderly. She has brought the community together in multiple ways and has volunteered so much this year.
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
Elizabeth is one of the most proactive positive professional people I've ever come across not only does she jump in to help anybody in need she scans every dog and cat to get it back to their owner and drops everything at an instant she has a positive change movement that supports those in need and recently when Snapp benefits expired she instantly turned on a food drive and connected enough food to feed tin families. I cannot count the ways that elizabeth Danny contributes to this community.
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
Elizabeth continuously steps up and in to meet the needs of various contingents of Los Osos community members. Her enthusiasm, generosity of spirit, heart and kindness genuinely reflect the best of Los Osos
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
Elizabeth Denny has gone above and beyond to serve the community of Los Osos since her return to the area a few years ago. She has shown leadership and dedication in the Bay-Osos Kiwanis Club and their Builders Club program at Los Osos Middle School. She has stepped up to be on many committees such as the Sunnyside School Coalition and Oktoberfest. In addition, she networks with all walks of life to help dogs in need, start food drives and toy drives, and so much more. Her impact has helped many community members in need, and she truly sets a shining example of the type of person we cherish having in our community. Watching her efforts to better the lives of our neighbors has been inspiring to watch.
Sincerely,
Annie Wahler
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
Without a doubt, Liz is the embodiment of kindness, compassion, and generosity we want to celebrate in Los Osos. She is relatively new to Los Osos within the last few years, having lived in north county and Colorado (I believe) previously. After losing her husband she returned to the area and settled in Los Osos. We’re so grateful to have her. Liz is the founder of “The Positive Change Movement”, is an active member of Kiwanis, and she works with a non-profit organization that provides assistance to people with Autism. In addition, Liz is an advocate for people in need of food, shelter, toys for tots, and recently made a post on a local Facebook page offered to facilitate getting a Christmas tree to a family in need. Liz’s list of 40 things she wanted to do for her 40th birthday included 40 acts of kindness and generosity; most of which involved community engagement (which she excels at). Finally, I would consider Liz a fierce friend who would drop almost anything she’s doing to help a lost pet in need. All in all, Liz is an inspirational human. We’re so lucky to have her in Los Osos.
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
Elizabeth is an advocate for animals and people in the community. She has given her time and energy with a heart as big as her smile!
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
I met Liz through Chamber mixers and am currently working with her on the Sunnyside Park Citizens Coalition. Liz is kind, considerate, positive, encouraging, responsible, smart, and inspiring. It is my understanding she recently moved back to Los Osos after some time out of state. She is always involved in something productive for our community whether independently initiated with her nonprofit, The Positive Change Movement, through her membership with one of our local volunteer organizations- Chamber and Kiwanis where she , her role leading a grief counseling small group and as a crisis counselor, her job as Program Coordinator for the Central Coast Autism Spectrum Center, her time volunteering with the dog shelter and time spent loving and supporting her friends and family.
Here is a little about her non-profit,
"I’m Elizabeth, the person behind TPCM. I’m a SLO County native and am very active in the local community (and have been since I was a kid). I work full-time, tutor, and volunteer with various non-profits and community programs. In my free time (haha), I plan special events, donation drives, and service projects for the local community.
In my rare personal time, I love traveling the world, attending sporting events and concerts, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.
The Positive Change Movement came about when I recognized that people WANT to help, but don’t know how to start or are intimidated about getting out there. I wanted to create a resource and connection for people to find ways to give back and help change the world, by either donating their time, supplies, or money. I am a grassroots project, with no legal ties. I don’t profit off of any of this and I invest a LOT of my own time and money into this passion project of mine.
Please send me a message or leave a comment to say hi! I would love to help you give back to your local community (no matter where you are in the world). Have an item you want to get rid of and donate, but not sure where to drop it off? Want to support a specific cause? Ready to start volunteering your time? I’m just a message away!"
Liz turned 40 this year! Whoo Hoo! And to celebrate here is a list of 40 projects she committed to do and accomplished for others in our community:
1. Get 40 people to donate blood2. Send 40 thank you cards for military3. Make 40 lunches for the unhoused4. Give 40 cold drinks to delivery drivers5. Donate 40 pairs of eyeglasses to @lionsclubs 6. Paint 40 rocks with positive messages7. Hand out 40 popsicles to kids8. Donate 40 decks of cards to a local hospital9. Donate 40 NEW backpacks to @unitedwayslo 10. Make 40 baked goods for first responders 11. Donate 40 nonperishable food items to pantry12. Donate 40 new books to a school13. Put 40 quarters in expired parking meters14. Donate 40 packs of baby wipes to @ppsslo 15. Perform 40 mental health check-ins 16. Write 40 positive Yelp reviews 17. Recruit 40 volunteers to help with beach cleanup18. Put 40 post-it notes with + messages, in public spaces 19. Collect 40 flannel shirts for unhoused20. Collect 40 pairs of socks for Animal Services21. Donate $40 to a nonprofit 22. Write 40 kind cards and deliver to a care home23. Write 40 birthday cards for kids in shelters 24. Donate 40 packs of feminine products to shelter25. Hand out 40 fresh flowers with + messages26. Buy 40 coffees/meals for a friend (or a stranger)27. Donate 40 pairs of new/gently used shoes to @soles4souls28. Collect 40 pairs of new/used jeans for local group home 29. Donate 40 kitchen supplies to CAPSLO30. Give out 40 seed packets to kids 31. Give out 40 compliments on social media 32. Send 40 cards in the mail 33. Donate 40 games/puzzles to school34. Donate 40 activity books to hospital 35. Collect 40 pet supplies for TPRN36. Donate 40 gardening supplies to @sloautism 37. Donate 40 supplies to teachers 38. Give 40 treats to USPS/utility workers 39. Donate 40 puzzle books to care homes40. 40 pics of YOU!
Talk about the impact of one birthday! This 40 project list engaged and impacted hundreds of community members. Liz has recently been featured on KSBY for a food pantry drive she initiated and she is currently wrapping up a Holiday gift drive for SLO Foster Care.
I nominate Liz for Volunteer of the Year because she is non-stop selflessly devoted to making a positive change. And she achieves it every day. Not only does Liz volunteer her heart out, but she inspires others to contribute. It doesn't need to be preserving a multi-million dollar property for a community resource center (although she's working on that right now with the Sunnyside Park Citizens Coalition!). Liz makes it easy for people within our community to make a big difference, by giving a little of their resources or time. She helps others establish connections. Liz does all of this while also exuding gratitude. I would love for Los Osos to give her this Award during this big 40th year- to give back a little of the encouragement that she provides to others. I want Liz to be Los Osos Volunteer of the Year because she deserves it and so that more people will know about The Positive Change Movement and that "it only takes one person to start a powerful ripple of change".
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
It is with immense pleasure that I nominate Elizabeth Denny for the Los Osos Citizen of the Year award for 2025. Elizabeth's unwavering dedication to community service, with dozens of initiatives, reaching various demographics, truly embodies the spirit of selflessness and leadership expected for a Citizen of the Year.
Over the years, while living in Los Osos, Elizabeth has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to making a difference in the lives of her neighbors. Most recently, she created a toy drive for local foster children, posted online wish lists to make giving easier for donors, and worked with local businesses to provide convenient drop off locations. During the recent cutoff of government EBT/SNAP benefits, she created a massive food drive, delivering food and gift cards directly to people in need and making a huge donation to Estero Bay Kindness Coalition, who delivered the rest of it.
In addition to her support of many Kiwanis Club of Bay-Osos events, Elizabeth is the current Vice President and Builders Club Advisor for the Kiwanis Club, actively shaping the next generation of community leaders.
She doesn’t just help humans in the community. Her profound love for animals is evident in her roles as a Dog Volunteer at SLO County Animal Services, a Volunteer Dog Foster/Transporter for multiple rescue organizations, and especially as the Founder of The Pawsitive Rescue Network, where she is directly saving and improving the lives of countless animals.
The name of her dog rescue group is a riff on the community service organization she founded in 2018, The Positive Change Movement, which has raised and donated well over $30,000, led numerous projects, and given thousands of hours of volunteer service.
Elizabeth's history of volunteerism is extensive and impactful, reflecting a consistent passion for service across various organizations.
Her leadership in organizing the "Blame It On The Boogie" Prom for Adults with Special Needs provided a truly unforgettable experience, fostering inclusivity and happiness. Her heartfelt "Family Sponsorship for Holidays" in 2020 and her many years long "Birthday Box Project" (putting together donated gift boxes to help a person in need celebrate a birthday) for countless individuals highlight a consistent dedication to ensuring that special occasions are celebrated and supported.
Beyond celebratory events, Elizabeth has actively responded to critical community needs. Her "I Am Not Lost” (leaving hand knitted hats and scarves where unhoused people will find them) project demonstrated a proactive concern for the vulnerable. In summary, Elizabeth embodies the highest ideals of community service.
Her impact on individuals, families, and organizations is undeniable, and her continued dedication serves as an inspiration to us all.
For these reasons, I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically nominate Elizabeth Denny for Citizen of the Year 2025.
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
When funds were cut for the most vulnerable, she stepped up and literally asked, “ how can I help?” I personally don’t know this person. I just saw how she organized our town and collected to help others in need.
Nominee: Elizabeth Denny
Does this person live or work in Los Osos? : Yes
Why do you feel this person should be honored?
I am nominating Elizabeth Denny because she is consistently DOING GOOD wherever she goes. She is a SLO County native, currently living in Los Osos, who created the Positive Change Movement when she recognized that people WANT to help, but don’t know how to start or are intimidated about getting out there. She created a resource for people to find ways to give back and help change the world, by either donating their time, supplies, or money. Her mission is 100% grassroots - she volunteers her time to meet human needs in our community.
When Elizabeth is not working for the Central Coast Autism Spectrum Center, she is a volunteer with various non-profits and community programs. She has participated in Stuff the Bus programs for the United Way, completed 40 acts of kindness in celebration of her 40th birthday, and has been a foster home for dogs and cats. She most recently hosted a food drive for local families who were affected by the government shut down and the possible pause in benefits. Her messaging was inclusive and respectful - and she got a great turn out of donations of non-perishable food and money and was able to support 22 families. After she distributed to locals who had reached out to her, she donated the rest, and a check for $500, to the Kindness Coalition!
Elizabeth is a valued member of the Bay Osos Kiwanis Club and serves on a fundraising committee for the Community Foundation of Estero Bay.
Now that her studio is empty, she wants to fill it up again! Her two new projects are her annual #IAmNotLost cold weather essentials drive and a toy drive!
Since 2018, the Positive Change Movement has hosted countless community service projects and special events, donated $30,000+ cash and in kind donations, and served thousands of volunteer hours.
Elizabeth is a whirlwind and so deserving of this recognition!
https://www.facebook.com/thepositivechangemovement/