CHRISTMAS ON SKID ROW IN LOS ANGELES A SPECIAL TIME FOR KID, ADULTS

Celebrities Serve Food and Distribute Hundreds of Gifts to Children

Los Angeles, California --- December 23, 2005 --- There was snow, Santa and lots of presents for needy children on Skid Row in Los Angeles Friday. The Los Angeles Mission hosted the homeless to the area the Mission prefers to call "Hope Central."

Celebrities were on hand to join hundreds of volunteers to serve a hearty meal, sing Christmas carols, and distribute gifts to both children and adults. Jennifer Love Hewitt, star of the hit CBS show "Ghost Whisperer," was the host for the second consecutive year.

"I think this is truly what this season is about," Hewitt said. "Really, Christmas is about the human connection of man to man, spirit to spirit. You don't get that any better than here at the Los Angeles Mission."

"Christmas is such as special time" said Marshall McNott, president of the Los Angeles Mission. "It is a time of joy and blessing. We celebrate the birth of Jesus and share hope with people who have forgotten about hope. Our goal with this event was to share God's love with every person, to serve them and show them respect, and to open the possibility of beginning a new life of dignity off the streets."

Friday's meal is a favorite of the "friends and neighbors" of the Mission. Los Angles Mission Food Service Director Chris Cormier conducts an informal survey to determine the menu for the Christmas Eve event, and again this year it is oven roasted chicken, 3-cheese macaroni, mixed vegetables, cranberry sauce, rolls and butter and pumpkin pie.

Hundreds of wrapped gifts were distributed to the children of the area. Each child was given a gift appropriate to their age and gender. All of the gifts were donated by the public and individually counted and wrapped by hundreds of volunteers.

"Again this year, the faces of the children tell the story of the Los Angeles community's giving and caring," added McNott.

Santa made a special appearance, and brought along with him Mrs. Claus and something rarely seen in downtown Los Angeles ... snow (although it was Hollywood magic and not the cold variety).

More than 3000 pounds of chicken were roasted, 400 pounds of pasta and 125 gallons of cheese sauce for macaroni prepared, 900 pounds of mixed vegetables cooked, and 375 pies baked for the day's meal.

"The Mission raises much of its donated income in the fourth quarter of the year. We appreciate both the gifts of goods and services, as well as the financial support of our friends in the community," McNott continued. "We take no government money to operate the Mission, so our budget comes entirely from community donors."

McNott and Hewitt welcomed the celebrities early Friday as they prepared to go out and serve up the Christmas meals. McNott explained the variety of services the Los Angeles Mission provides, including emergency overnight shelter, showers, clothing and the Urban Training Institute (UTI), which provides education and job training services.

In the last year, the Mission served over 460,000 meals (463,951), provided more than 127,000 nights of warm and safe lodging (127,005) and gave out more than 158,000 articles of clothing for those who needed it (158,457).

For over 50 years, the Los Angeles Mission has served the people of Hope Central (known as Skid Row), providing emergency services such as shelter, food, clothing, as well as professional medical and dental services. In addition, the Los Angeles Mission also offers long-term residential rehabilitation programs including education, job training/placement, transitional housing and counseling.