Mayor Eric Garcetti and his wife joined volunteers at the Los Angeles Convention Center Wednesday to write holiday notes and fill gift bags to be delivered to about 4,500 homebound seniors.
The gifts are the result of a fundraising drive, begun by the mayor’s wife, Amy Elaine Wakeland, to replace 2,000 care packages destroyed Dec. 8 in a fire that razed an under-construction, 1-million-square-foot-plus apartment building in downtown.
“This outpouring of support shows that L.A. is truly a city of angels,” Wakeland said. “Mayor Garcetti and I want to thank everyone who contributed their time and money to spreading some holiday cheer to our neighbors in need.”
The fundraising effort raised more than $180,000, exceeding the original goal of replacing the 2,000 packages, and brought in enough funds to pay for gifts for all 4,500 seniors who receive home-delivered meals through a city Department of Aging program.
Volunteers will be stuffing gift bags with blankets, slippers, toiletries, postage stamps and playing cards, as well as writing holiday notes to the seniors until 4 p.m.
—City News Service