Costa Mesa Has Spirit… A Post-Holiday Wrap-up

The holiday spirit is always a great force in Costa Mesa and 2009 was no exception. In a year that was especially hard for people financially and emotionally, it’s such a joy to see our community banding together to spread holiday cheer. Here are a few post-holiday endnotes:

-Our company successfully collected items for the Spark of Love toy drive and the Costa Mesa Firefighters Association Operation Santa Letter Program. Spark of Love is a toy campaign that collects toys for disadvantaged children in the community. The Operation Santa Letter Program, as reported by the OC Register, gave away toys and basic necessities on Christmas Eve to a women’s shelter and needy children and local residents who are staying in a local motel. The program was started by firefighter paramedic Todd Palombo eight years ago and involves children writing letters to Santa.-The Someone Cares Soup Kitchen campaign called 40K in 40 Days provided over 1,200 holiday dinners at the Costa Mesa soup kitchen on December 23. Each person was given a backpack filled with over 25 items including clothing, toiletries and essentials. Plus, over 3,000 toys were distributed & Santa Claus paid the children a visit! (The campaign is still accepting donations. Those willing to donate can do so here.)-The OC Register wrote about a group called “Senior Smiles, Moms and Tots,” which caters to lonely seniors. Mothers and their young children met with local seniors to spread some holiday sunshine. The group was started by Costa Mesa resident Jennifer Fairchild.Yes, the holiday spirit lives on in Costa Mesa and that makes our community a special place all year long.