Foster and homeless youth in Riverside County set to enjoy Winter Wonderland event

For the more than 19,000 students in Riverside County in foster care settings or living without secure housing, the holidays may not always feel like the most joyous time of the year. 

As a response to this, the Riverside County Office of Education is holding its first Winter Wonderland event for foster and homeless youth and their families from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11 at the Riverside Convention Center, located on 3637 Fifth St.

“The Winter Wonderland event is a way for all students to have something to look forward to this holiday season,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “This event represents an opportunity to wrap our community’s collective arms around students who are deserving of positive reinforcement, loving kindness, and a fresh reminder of the importance of hope for the future.”

Highlights of the free event include: 

• Holiday meal for families
• Dessert treats
• Gift giveaway for children
• Photo booth fun
• Keynote speaker for parents/guardians on the topic of self-care
• Breakout rooms for students for cookie decorating, calming tools to take home, ornament-making, magnet painting, and other gift items

Sponsors for the event include Best Best & Krieger, 1-2-3 Wellness, Feisty Pets, Plan It Life, Tilden-Coil Constructors, Cornerstone Community Church, Santa Claus, Inc., Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost, The Flippen Group and the Riverside Police Foundation. Several Riverside County volunteers and their support will also be vital towards the event’s hopeful success.

More from Riverside County