More than 1,000 Deserving and Homeless Children Are Expected to Enjoy a “Sharing the Spirit” Holiday Tent Featuring Santa and Toys for Every Child
LOS ANGELES (Dec. 18, 2017) – Through a collaborative effort with the Los Angeles Mission, Costa Mesa, California-based Festival of Children Foundation will again bring holiday joy and cheer to more than 1,000 homeless and deserving children on Skid Row on Friday, December 22. Now in its seventh year, the foundation’s “Sharing the Spirit” Holiday Tent at the Mission’s annual Christmas Celebration will feature visits with Santa, a holiday-themed photo booth and age-appropriate toys for each and every child.
The Los Angeles Mission’s annual Christmas Celebration provides 3,500 gourmet meals for the local homeless population. This year, celebrity chef Ben Ford returns to create a special holiday meal with the Mission’s kitchen staff, which is then served by hundreds of volunteers from the entertainment industry, politics and the local community. The meal is served in front of the Mission on Fifth Street, which is decorated in the spirit of the season. After eating, children are invited to enter the festively decorated Sharing the Spirit Holiday Tent, where they can take photos with Santa and then choose a special gift. The Holiday Tent is sponsored by Baker Party Rentals, the Herman & Mary K. Seibel Charitable Foundation, JAKKS Pacific, PizzaRev, Star Box, Inc., and VOX DJs.
“With homelessness increasing in Los Angeles and across Southern California, that means more and more children are impacted and this is especially difficult on them during the holidays,” said Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, founder and executive director, Festival of Children Foundation. “We are so thankful to partner with the Los Angeles Mission again to bring a bit of holiday cheer into their lives.”
“Festival of Children Foundation and Sandy Segerstrom Daniels are incredible partners to the Los Angeles Mission,” said Mission President Herb Smith. “Our united efforts focus on ending homelessness and providing for children in need. The Mission appreciates and thanks them for seven years of incredible magic on the streets of Skid Row.”
The event begins in the early morning hours, when Chef Ben Ford arrives at 4:30 a.m. to begin preparing the meals. Mission and Festival of Children Foundation staff and volunteers start decorating Fifth Street at 6:00 a.m. At around 11:00 a.m., the meals begin to be served and the Holiday Tent opens to welcome children. The event continues until 3:00 p.m.
About Festival of Children Foundation
Founded in 2003 by businesswoman and children’s advocate Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, Festival of Children Foundation is a national, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves to bring together a diverse, national community of children’s charitable organizations to collaborate, access resources, share knowledge, focus their efforts, and ultimately work together to improve the lives of children. With committed funding covering 100% of administrative expenses, every dollar raised by the organization goes directly to helping these charities thrive through innovative programs and services, including free professional training, financial support, and programs and events to help raise awareness and funds for individual missions.
Costa Mesa, California-based Festival of Children Foundation has built a network of nearly 500 charities across the nation that serve millions of children each year, each with a diverse mission yet with a common goal of improving the lives of children. The foundation is also behind National Child Awareness Month, a U.S. Senate-based designation serving as a rallying call throughout September to U.S. children’s charities, their benefactors and supporters, and the public to set aside their individual agendas to raise awareness and inspire action for all children’s causes. www.festivalofchildren.org
About The Los Angeles Mission
For more than 80 years, the Los Angeles Mission has served the people of Skid Row, providing emergency services such as shelter, food, clothing, as well as a professional medical and dental services. In addition, the Los Angeles Mission also offers long-term residential rehabilitation programs including education, professional mental health counseling, job training/placement, and transitional housing. Visit www.losangelesmission.org to help make a difference in the lives of others.
Contact: Cassady Taylor
Festival of Children Foundation
(714) 438 – 3205
ctaylor@festivalofchildren.org