Ho Ho Ho six months early! This past weekend, Universal Studios Hollywood brought Yuletide cheer to a thousand low-income Southern California families with its annual Christmas In Spring event in the San Fernando Valley.
The 28th Annual Christmas In Spring was put on by Universal Studios Hollywood in cooperation with the MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity) philanthropic group and hundreds of Team Member volunteers from the world-famous Los Angeles theme park.
Watch Christmas In Spring community outreach event by Universal Studios Hollywood:
Since it first launched in the early 1990s, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Christmas In Spring has touched the lives of more than eighteen thousand local family members living in poverty, “providing them with holiday cheer during a time of year when their needs are often overlooked.” During the full afternoon of activities, participants played carnival games, enjoyed a live DJ, got their faces painted, and interacted with popular characters like the Despicable Me Minions, Puss in Boots from Shrek, King Julian from Madagascar, and Hello Kitty.
Santa Claus was also on-hand to pose for photographs with attendees and distribute gifts like plush toys from The Secret Life of Pets. “Christmas in Spring” is a charity event sponsored by Universal Studios Hollywood and its “Discover A Star” Foundation. The Foundation provides grants to deserving organizations whose initiatives help individuals and families to achieve more productive and fulfilling lives.
About MEND: Meet Each Need with Dignity offers a range of comprehensive services delivered with dignity and respect by exceptionally dedicated staff and “army” of volunteers. For 48 years, MEND has opened its doors to the most vulnerable members of our community and over the years we have become one of the most comprehensive and empowering poverty relief agencies in Los Angeles County, serving, in 2018, over 14,600 individuals but providing an average of 30,000 client encounters each month. Started in a San Fernando Valley garage in 1971, MEND is an anchor institution with the largest food bank in the Valley, medical, dental and vision clinics, clothing, homeless care services, as well as support and care through case management services.
For more information on Universal Studios Hollywood and its “Discover A Star” Foundation, be sure to visit the park’s official website.