Gift of Christmas Benefits Thousands

On Wednesday, they were spotted in San Fernando. On Monday, it was Pacoima, and the day before, North Hollywood.

For the past week, Santa Claus and a whole bunch of his helpers have been visiting different sites in the East Valley to help more than 6,000 needy children get an early start on Christmas.

Gift of Christmas, a 4-year-old nonprofit group started by Councilman Richard Alarcon, is behind the tour. The group recruited Santa, solicited donations and signed up dozens of volunteers to participate in its annual toy giveaway program.

By Sunday, Gift of Christmas will have visited half a dozen Valley locations, offering sweets, photos with Santa and free gifts to more than a thousand children at each stop.

“This is nice. There are a lot of needy families in the area and a lot of children who otherwise might not have any gift at all,” said Harold Cohn, a lay missionary at Mary Immaculate Church in Pacoima and a site coordinator for Gift of Christmas.

Alarcon said he was inspired to start the program because of his own experience of receiving a free gift from a church in North Hollywood, where his grandparents lived when he was a boy.

The church, Holy Family Episcopal Church, served as one of the sites for this year’s giveaway, Alarcon said.

“I can still remember my gift. It was a little train. It made a big impression on me,” said Alarcon. “It’s amazing, the kids are incredibly appreciative.

“Hopefully, it will inspire them to give back something when they have means to do so.”

The toys, which were donated by corporations, social service agencies and private citizens, included everything from “footballs and soccer balls to sweatshirts, books and Barbie dolls,” Cohn said.

“It was nice that everyone from the community was so gracious about helping out,” Cohn said. “That’s really what Christmas is all about.”