Pasadena Community Foundation’s YES, Virginia Grants Brighten Holidays for 12 Local Nonprofits

For the 28^th consecutive year, Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) has helped bring the magic of Christmas to 12 Pasadena-area nonprofit organizations with funding through its Yes, Virginia Grant Program. The grants will help nearly 2,500 children receive holiday gifts or participate in special holiday experiences at each recipient agency.

In 1897, Frank Church, editor of The New York Sun, responded to eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, who wrote to the newspaper to ask, “Is there a Santa Claus?” More than a century later, it remains the most reprinted editorial ever to run in any newspaper in the United States. In 1994, the story inspired PCF supporters to establish the Yes, Virginia Fund to help local nonprofits elevate the holiday season for their client families.

In 2019, after 25 years of dedicated fundraising and community support, the Yes, Virginia Fund reached its endowment goal of $500k, ensuring that it will continue to support holiday grants to local nonprofit agencies every year for decades to come.

2022 Celebrations and Grantee Organizations

PCF is grateful for the Pasadena community’s long-time support of this invaluable, heart-warming grant program. Despite three years of pandemic-related hardships, honoring Virginia’s storied hope and maintaining the magic of Santa continues to be an important goal for staff members at nonprofit charitable organizations. Yes, Virginia Grants helped make that happen at 12 local sites, including:

• Boys & Girls Club Pasadena: The annual Holiday Party was held at all four Club sites serving approximately 450 members and their siblings. Activities included gift giving, carnival games, cookie decorating, games, and meet-and-greets with favorite holiday characters.
• Community Health Alliance of Pasadena (ChapCare) – The Annual Holiday Cheer Event on December 14 welcomed pediatric patients and their families to the Lincoln Health Clinic for a toy giveaway at Santa’s North Pole and a festive outdoor celebration.
• Door of Hope – The Winter Family Fun Festival was held at Summerkids Camp in Altadena complete with real snow and a sledding hill. 100 families and 175 children enjoyed craft activities, carolers, snacks, and story time with Mrs. Claus; Children received toy gifts and parents received a store gift card.
• Harambee Ministries –The Harambee Christmas Shop helps families do some shopping for holiday gifts for their children, ages newborm-18, complete with gift wrapping supplies.
• Families Forward Learning Center Santa Claus visited the center on December 15 to personally hand out gifts for each child in the program during a festive party complete with performances and treats.

Pasadena Community Foundation is thrilled to support holiday experiences and gifts at the following organizations in 2022:

• Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena
• Community Health Alliance of Pasadena
• Door of Hope
• Elizabeth House
• Families Forward Learning Center
• Flintridge Center
• Friends Outside in LA County
• Harambee Ministries
• Impact House
• Pasadena Altadena Community Endowment Fund (PACEF) – The LINKS
• Pasadena Altadena Coalition of Transformative Leaders (PACTL)
• Treasure Little Children Foundation