On Saturday, December 17, Heartfelt and 170 volunteers hosted 2,000+ people (most of them children) at our annual Christmas party at Gladys Park, which was in the Skid Row area of LA this year. It was our largest service event ever!!
Because of the generosity and goodness of Mr. Jon Peters, who provided funding for this project, we were able to have toys, hot food, ice cream, drinks, gifts for parents, and entertainment (singers, ponies, clowns, games, face painting, Moon Bouncer, Christmas card-making) for everyone who came. We were even able to feed the many homeless men and women living in the area, and give them new gifts of T-shirts, socks, toiletries and sturdy travel bags.
And because of the generosity and goodness of God, the miracles of the day abounded, as we watched the food (prepared for 1,000) continually expand and last to the end of the day, 600 chocolate chip cookies (donated by the Botte’s) last the entire day, candy for 1,000 (donated by Michael Lawrence) fed 2,000, and toys for 1,200 never ran out against all mathematical laws!!
The smiles on the faces of children who rarely have a reason to smile, are ever etched in the minds of those of us privileged enough to spend the day with them. And once more, gratitude for this work and it’s constantly-expanding outreach into the community of the poorest in our city.
