Christmas Spirit Finds Its Way to Skid Row Too

Thousands of people across Southern California celebrated Christmas on Thursday with religious services and free meals and toy giveaways for those in need.

At the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony presided over a traditional Catholic Midnight Mass. He also celebrated Mass later in the day at the Men’s Central Jail.

More than 2,000 men, women and children showed up at the Midnight Mission on skid row for breakfast and a toy giveaway.

Several hundred volunteers at the homeless center served up 600 pounds of sausage, 500 pounds of ham, 48 cases of eggs and 400 pounds of potatoes. They also handed out 800 toys.

“We had an extra-big turnout because of the rain,” said Larry Lyerla, a spokesman for Midnight Mission.

The wet weather forced organizers at Pasadena’s Union Station Foundation to change plans for a huge outdoor celebration at a park in the city’s downtown.

Instead, about 700 volunteers transformed a nearby parking lot into a huge outdoor shelter with tents and portable tables and benches.

“A dinner in the park in the rain didn’t seem like the best approach,” said Larry Palmer of the Union Station Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides services to poor and homeless people.

More than 1,500 people enjoyed a meal featuring turkey, yams, green beans and desserts.

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus also posed for photos with children and handed out more than 700 gifts, Palmer said.

And in Hollywood, the Laugh Factory offered free dinners for the needy as well as comedians and actors.