Shedding Light.

This past month, on February 28th, 2026 we did our best to shed some light on our neighbors in Pasadena, CA. We had a larger turnout at this 2nd gathering; family & friends traveled in from all over the West Coast. To me, that feels like more love coming in and more love going out. That’s so cool!

Central Park was our meet up point. It’s a pretty park plopped right in the heart of Pasadena, not too far from the infamous Colorado Blvd. Quite similar to our first meet up, as soon as we began unloading all the care packages, we noticed many folks who could use one. God led us to an ideal spot once again. He’s so smart! ;)

A bunch of us had caravanned down from the Tehachapi mountains and arrived a lot earlier than we were anticipating. While we were waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, we decided to leisurely walk the park & hand out a few bags...we didn’t want people to migrate away & miss out. Fortunately, our cousin and her extended family donated 60 bags full of snacks, juices, socks, beanies, gloves, & personal hygiene goods for this occasion. Every year during the holidays, they combine their resources and donate to a charity. They chose LIFF this year; we were so grateful! I ended up adding more snacks & waters from the donations that came in from our wishlist as well. These care packages were loaded up; we were quite motivated to get them into the hands of folks living in or passing through Central Park. Sending a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who donated goods or Amazon gift cards to us. You rule! <3

Once the entire group arrived, we had already met about 40 people who were genuinely thankful to receive a care package. We divided up the rest and all took another stroll through the park. Extending another BIG THANKS to all who dedicated their time & hands to this project. Keeping Dominic’s story alive & honoring his spirit through service means so much to me and our family. <3 <3 <3

There was another group of humanitarians also handing out food & necessities to the unhoused park dwellers. A solo woman was walking around handing out fresh baked cookies & sharing the gospel with folks. It was really refreshing to see more generous hearts out there, and to be a part of it. The prayer of St. Francis rings true…

“…for it is in giving that we receive.”

Here are a few pictures captured from the day. If you couldn’t make this one, but are hoping to catch the next hand out session, save the date for June 7th, 2026. We’ll be sharing some love with our neighbors in Long Beach, CA next time! <3