The first time I went to Imperial Beach, California, I was struck by the community’s kindness. I went to the pier first, not knowing where to find people to talk to, only knowing that the pier was an iconic fixture of the town. … At first, the story was about the loss of this beach, a community space to swim and gather. But as I spoke to more people, and felt how genuine they were and ready to talk to me and direct me to where to go next, it was almost overwhelming how far the impacts of the polluted water in Imperial Beach reached.