Santa Monica Christmas

 

• Santa Monica Christmas
• 2010 Trip Story
• 2011 Trip
• Shutterfly Photo Album

Do you want to help the homeless in Santa Monica over Christmas?

...last year I found many great ways to do this over Christmas - the Santa Monica Christmas! In my previous life, I was website manager for Aaaliyahonline.com, a website focusing R&b singer Aaliyah, a regular short term missionary to Africa, and supporter of others who dug into the trenches to make the lives those in need much better.

Each year, thousands of missionaries go overseas, funded by dollars from supporters, to help bring hope to other communities in countries abroad. I spent 5 years travelling to countries abroad on missions but now on the homefront, I go to Santa Monica, California to volunteer with various organizations like United Steps, the Ocean Park Community Center, and West Side Thanksgiving to serve those less fortunate.

Christmas in Santa Monica is a wonderful time to volunteer to help the homeless. The need exists all year long but Christmas is a great time to roll up your sleeves and lend a hand either by volunteering.

Richard Bloom, a City Council Member, wrote me saying, "Los Angeles County has unfortunate distinction of having the highest number of homeless individuals in the country: about 75,000 or over 10% of the nation's total homeless population. It has been a priority issue for me for many years now." There are many great organizations that help with the homeless over the holidays. Here are the ones I worked with last year.

Westside Thanksgiving: I was referred to this organization with some major help from City Council and First Presbyterian Santa Monica. They have shifts available the day before plus all day during the Thanksgiving holiday. I did a 9 hr shift on Thanksgiving and it was worth every moment. I enjoyed helping and you can too! Just check their website closer to Thanksigving for a time to plug in and help the homeless.

Ocean Park Commmunity Center: I found this by searching the Internet. It's also known as the Access Center. This opportunity requires a call to the center's volunteer coordinator and 1 hr of orientation but the payoff is amazing. They have so many opportunities from helping in the clothes closet, preparing meals, working with the youth, triage, and more. The staff is a mix of client-volunteers and paid trained workers.

United Steps: Volunteering at OPCC, I met staff from United Steps, an outreach to the homeless in Santa Monica. They offer opportunities to do outreach on the streets as well as organized events such as taking the homeless to NBA games. I got to take someone to the Clippers Rockets game at the Staples Center.

No matter what you can do - whether it's volunteering with one of these great organizations or one in your home town, every bit makes a difference. Please don't forget the homeless this holiday season.

 

Sincerely,

 

Fly American Airlines, the airline choice of the Santa Monica Chrismas Outreach Effort

 

PS - Special thanks to Santa Monica Place - where I spent my Christmas off hours, the Jolly Roger Hotel who made accomodations easy, and the Santa Monica City Council who helped point me in the right direction to do all of this in 2010. Please consider a link on your website to http://www.santamonicachristmas.com - also please check out my TripAdvisor review of Santa Monica Place! or check it out here on site on the Santa Monica Place page! Lastly check out the new Santa Monica Memories page!