Holidays came early for thousands of Southern California families as the Magic Johnson Foundation led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson and his wife Cookie gave away food and gifts at a community event in Inglewood Saturday.
Over 2,000 families were able to drive away with a 25-pound box of fresh groceries as well as non-perishable food, a 15-pound box of personal care items, and a 5-pound box of AVON products, organizers said.
This year’s “Holiday Hope” event gave the families a sense of comfort and relief amid financial difficulties, said John-Paul Foster, senior pastor at Faithful Central Bible Church where the celebration occurred.
“This help really comes at such a crucial point. We’ve had people who have been furloughed or laid off, and we have people who haven’t been getting benefits,” Foster said. “We’re here today to make sure that thousands of families have hope. They have food on their table for Thanksgiving season and (are) moving to the holidays with some hope.”
Johnson himself rolled up the sleeves and helped put in boxes of food and gifts into the families’ cars.
“It’s been a rough year for the city. It’s been a rough year for the country, and these people are good people who just need a little assistance,” the NBA legend said.
This is the 11th year the Holiday Hope event took place through a partnership between the Magic Johnson Foundation and Feed the Children.
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