HeraldReviewMedia's video: The Daily Chirp: Giving Back This Holiday Season

Before we begin, some local history. The US is one of only three countries that doesn’t use the metric system. But In 1975 when Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act, road signs on Interstate 19, which connects Tucson, Arizona, to Nogales, Mexico, were changed. To this day it’s the only highway in America with distances posted solely in kilometers. Today’s history was brought to you by Benson Hospital. They’re doing more than treating illnesses in Benson, they're building a healthier community. Benson Hospital donated rescue inhalers to Cochise County Schools to help keep kids healthy and out of the ER. To learn more, visit their website at bensonhospital.org. - Now, our feature story. Early Saturday morning San Pedro Kiwanis members, volunteers from the Cochise County Sheriff assist team, and the search and rescue team split up to bring cheer to families in Sierra Vista, Palominas, Huachuca City and Tombstone. For the 35th year in a row, the San Pedro Kiwanis Club and its nonprofit Just Kids Inc. donated new clothes to children in need.  Each child received new clothing - two pairs of pants, two shirts, a pair of shoes, socks and underwear. Jody Klein, chairperson for the stocking stuffers program, said this year the group is serving about 215 families and 628 kids. Klein says that the schools would tell us for some of the kids these are the only new clothing they have all year and they wear them with confidence. The CCSO assist team and search and rescue team have been helping with the delivery of the packages for the past eight years. Sheriff Mark Dannels said that his team gives back. And it costs the citizens nothing for the volunteers. Dannels added that this is helping the youth in need, and when they show up in uniform it’s a positive experience. They see them in a positive light. That’s important. The Bisbee Coalition for the Homeless is also serving the community this holiday season and beyond. Tony Bedolla, executive director, said they’ve had 204 individuals come through the shelter this year, an increase from the 144 they had in all of 2019. Bedolla also noted that homelessness is definitely on the rise. It slowed down in May, June and July when people were on unemployment, but it’s increasing again. Since March, the Bisbee Coalition for the Homeless has provided over 77 thousand meals to Cochise County residents.  They’ll also be distributing about 140 holiday food boxes that will include a 10-pound cooked turkey, pies, cranberries, dinner rolls, stuffing and mashed potatoes.  Giving back has been especially difficult, but especially important this year.  Want to stay up to date on what’s going on? Join NABUR  – your trusted neighborhood community. NABUR is a free online forum you can trust to connect with your community, focus on facts & make a difference. Join the conversation! Visit Nabur.myheraldreview.com   We also want to take a moment today for a local announcement, brought to you by ApexNetwork Physical Therapy. Providing physical therapy to the community, ApexNetwork offers a wide range of services including Manual Therapy, Industrial Rehab, Dry Needling, Golf Rehab and more. To learn more, go to ApexNetworkPT.com. Did you know that you can recycle your Christmas tree this year? Too often these trees end up in the landfill in the new year when they still have more to give. Fortunately, the City of Sierra Vista can help! Starting Dec. 28, Christmas trees without decorations can be recycled free of charge by dropping them off at the city's Compost Facility on State Route 90. The trees will be turned into high quality compost. Please remember to remove all tinsel, lights and ornaments.  City refuse customers have the option to schedule a free curbside pickup by calling 520-458-7530. These special Christmas tree pickups also can be scheduled by filling out a green waste pickup request form available at www.SierraVistaAZ.gov.  Finally, today we’re remembering the life of Brenda Gayle Peck. She was born in Mount Vernon , Washington in 1950 and  moved to Arizona in 1987. Brenda worked at AEPCO as an EMT and Security Guard for 12 years. She was a member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary and a volunteer firefighter. Brenda loved to play the piano and also loved to bake. In 2012, she married Walter L. Peck in Bisbee. She’s survived Walter, her siblings, her three daughters, eight grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. Thank you for taking a moment today to remember and celebrate Brenda’s life. Thanks for tuning in to the Herald Review podcast today, join us again on Tuesday! For more information on any of the stories you heard about today, visit us at myheraldreview.com.  And if you’re still looking for the perfect gift for someone special, right now we’re offering 58% savings on our one year home delivery subscription! You’ll also receive a $20 coupon for Ace Hardware or a $20 coup