PENINSULA – Everyone is cordially invited to visit four Long Beach Peninsula Bed and Breakfast Inns decorated for the holidays on Dec. 8 and 9 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Those participating this year are: The Shelburne Inn, 4415 Pacific Way, Seaview; A Rendezvous Place Bed and Breakfast, 11610 California Avenue S. and Boreas Bed and Breakfast Inn, 607 Ocean Beach Blvd. N. both in Long Beach; and Caswell’s On the Bay, 25204 Sandridge Rd. in Ocean Park.

The area B&B Association, Bed, Beach and Breakfast Inns of the Long Beach Peninsula, has for over 14 years, opened their inns to the public for their holiday open house on the second weekend of December each year.

Each participating inn requests donations of canned and other non-perishable food items for the area food banks from each open house visitor. The inns will all have collection barrels ready to receive these food donations. In return, visitors are invited to tour each participating B&B decorated for the holidays, while munching on delectable homemade treats presented by the innkeepers.

Each house reflects the style and flavor of the innkeepers’ decorating tastes and holiday spirit.

Boreas Inn has a holiday decorating party the first weekend of December where guests of the inn decorate the entire house however they choose. Susie Goldsmith and Bill Verner, owners, have minimal control over what goes where and the result is always playful, pretty and reflective of both the Christmas and Hanukkah spirit. Laurie Anderson and David Campiche of The Shelburne Inn decorate their historic Victorian hotel in a beautiful and more traditional style, while Caswell’s owners, Marilyn and Bob Caswell, have their Victorian bayside inn decorated in timeless understated elegance. Peg Miller and Sheila Wells, who are sisters and owners of A Rendezvous Place Bed and Breakfast, will be decorating this year in bronze, gold and green with red accents. The B&Bs decorate their outdoor areas with cedar garlands and lights.

Most importantly, at this time of year, the Bed, Beach and Breakfast Association innkeepers, who on a daily basis prepare award-winning gourmet breakfast fare for their guests, are aware of local residents who are going without enough to eat. Neighbors, helping to feed neighbors, must be a community-wide effort all year long.

Local residents are urged to donate food items to the food banks on the Long Beach Peninsula. These food banks include the Ilwaco/St. Vincent DePaul Food Bank on Lake Street in Ilwaco, PACE on Hwy 101 in Ilwaco, His Supper Table on Pacific in Long Beach and the ReachOut Food Bank on Bay Avenue in Ocean Park.