Father Joe’s Villages Offers Semi-Virtual Chat with Santa
The holidays can be tough for children and teenagers affected by homelessness, as they often miss out on experiences most young people have during this time. So, it’s important to provide them with a celebration so remarkable that they are able to simply be kids, instead of worrying about their families’ daily struggle to get back on their feet.
Early this past month,Father Joe’s Villages brought the holiday spirit to more than 90 children at the annual Children’s Christmas Party for families staying at the Joan Kroc Center Shelter. On Dec. 3, families visited a Winter Wonderland – a transformed Community Room at the Joan Kroc Center – for a virtual visit with Santa Claus via Zoom. Santa’s elves distributed presents personally selected for each child.
This year, due to COVID-19, Father Joe’s Villages adopted a different format to protect the safety and mitigate risk for families, Santa and volunteers. Families were scheduled to visit in 10-minute increments to ensure they are physically distanced. Santa’s elves followed special “touchless” protocols and wore face shields to distribute gifts and goodies.
The Children’s Christmas Party was made possible by groups, individuals and organizations who helped fund, organize and decorate the Winter Wonderland at the Joan Kroc Center Shelter, including La Jolla Women’s Group, Malia Garcia, Pacific Event Production, San Diego Harley Owners Group, The DeLapa Family, University of Dayton Alumni San Diego Chapter, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Carlsbad, and Santa Scott (Scott Walker).
Category: Covid-19, Events, feature, Holidays, Local News, Nonprofit
