Daniel Jordan 
Someone Keeps Taking the Signs. Simi Valley Nonprofits Are Paying for It.
(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — In Simi Valley, something small keeps going missing—and it’s causing a big problem.
Yard signs for local charity events are disappearing. These signs, placed legally with city approval or permission from property owners, advertise fundraisers like the Endless Summer Beer Fest. They’re simple. Often nothing more than plastic board and wire stakes.
“We don’t have advertising budgets,” said a member of the Rotary Club of Simi Sunset. “These signs are how we get the word out. When they’re gone, fewer people show up. That means less help for students, seniors, local veterans, and struggling families in our community.”
The Rotary Club places these signs with care. They work with the city to make sure the signs follow all local rules, including size, placement, and timing. They also get permission from private property owners when placing signs on lawns or storefronts.
Even so, many signs go missing within days.
In some cases, volunteers find the metal stakes left behind. Other times, there’s nothing—just empty ground where a sign once stood. Some believe it’s theft. Others think signs may be mistakenly removed by residents or city workers unaware they’re permitted.
Rotary members say they’ve lost dozens in the last few weeks. Each one costs money to print and time to install. More importantly, each lost sign means fewer people hearing about the cause.
And the cause matters. No one in the Rotary Club gets paid for organizing these events. Every dollar raised from events goes toward local projects — scholarships for high school students, grocery deliveries for homebound seniors, and emergency aid for families facing hardship.
“When someone removes a sign, they’re not just messing with us,” the member said. “They’re hurting people who rely on these programs.”
Now, Rotary is asking the community for help. If you see someone removing a charity sign, ask if they’re with the organization. If you’ve taken a sign thinking it wasn’t allowed, they ask that you return it—no questions asked.
“This is Simi Valley. We help each other here,” the club member said. “Let’s protect the things that help our neighbors.”
