Christmas celebrations around Los Angeles
Charitable efforts, church services, entertainment
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Christmas Eve will be marked in the Southland today with efforts to help the homeless and poor, a musical and dance performance and religious services honoring the birth of Jesus Christ.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is scheduled to join host Jennifer Love Hewitt at the Los Angeles Mission's Christmas Eve meal service and toy and coat giveaway on Skid Row. Celebrities set to volunteer include past "Dancing with the Stars'' contestants Brandy Norwood and Gilles Marini.
The 51st annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration will be held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion from 3-6 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
Wristbands, which are required for entry, will be distributed beginning at 11:30 a.m.
The celebration features 24 music, dance and choral ensembles and more than 800 performers.
Actress and singer Tia Carrere and actor Fred Willard will be the hosts. The celebration will be broadcast live on KCET-TV Channel 28 and KPFK-FM (90.7) and online at KCET.org and KPFK.org.
Church services include Christmas Eve Masses set to be celebrated at 4 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m. and midnight at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Cardinal Roger Mahony will celebrate the midnight Mass. Coadjutor Archbishop Jose Gomez will celebrate the 7 p.m. Mass.
In his 2010 Christmas message, Mahony wrote that "on every street, behind every other door, lives someone who is deeply disheartened, if not actually despairing,'' because of "the grim economic forecast, the early onset of illness or the loss of a loved one.''
"Especially at a time such as this, we can find solace in the scriptures for the Christmas Liturgy,'' Mahony wrote.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Hundreds of people waited in a line that wrapped around the block in Skid Row today for the Los Angeles Mission's annual Good Friday banquet.
Celebrities and politicians and about 400 volunteers turned out to serve food and distribute Easter baskets and new shoes to the homeless and underserved.
Mission president Herb Smith said he anticipated serving about 3,000 lunches, consisting of macaroni and cheese, salad, a roll and gourmet pecan pie.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The Los Angeles County Arts Commission announced it is seeking choir, dance and music ensembles to perform in the 52nd annual Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Dec. 24.
Performers are paid but the event is free and it celebrates the spirit of many cultures and holiday traditions. The production is also broadcast live on KCET-TV Channel 28 and an annual one-hour highlight show is carried nationally on public television stations.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—More than 51,000 people are homeless in Los Angeles County, a 3 percent drop from 2009, according to a report released today.
The report, by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which counts the homeless once every two years, found that social service agencies and homeless prevention programs have helped keep the numbers level despite the economic downturn.
Downtown’s skyline continues its ascent upward while at street level the battle continues for the fate of the less fortunate in Los Angeles’ halls of justice.
On April 22, the United States District Court handed down a restraining order against the Los Angeles Police Department, the county Department of Public Works, and other agencies, which prevents them from confiscating or destroying the property of its homeless citizens in the city.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A $25 million apartment complex opened on Skid Row to provide housing and social services for many of the city's homeless population, and it was touted as a way to save taxpayers $1 million a year by getting homeless people timely help.
Renato Apartments, at 531 S. San Julian St., has 96 units—60 of which are reserved for the chronically homeless and those who suffer from mental illness. The rest are allotted for tenants earning no more than 45 percent of the area's median income.
