“Operation Christmas Gift” Allowed Families in Need to Receive a Little Extra Help This Year
LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA, UNITED STATES, December 25, 2020 — The year 2020 has been a struggle for many families and now that we are in the holiday season, Christmas shopping has been incredibly stressful or even non-existent due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Sunday, December 19, The GUARDaHEART Foundation 501 (c)3 nonprofit and The Mercy Warehouse 501 (c)3 nonprofit hosted “Operation Christmas Gift” where they gave out 150 gift certificates for families in need to shop at Mercy Warehouse thrift store in Laguna Niguel. The thrift store is visited by many people to find treasures. “Operation Christmas Gift” gift cards were given to those in need to shop with dignity.
“In light of the difficulties facing many this holiday season, GUARDaHEART has partnered with The Mercy Warehouse to give away gift certificates to those families who could use a little help during the holidays,” Estrella Harrington, founder of GUARDaHEART Foundation, stated. “2020 has been a difficult year for all of us, for many reasons. The holidays can be tough even in the best of times, but even a little help can go a long way. We are grateful we were able to partner with such an excellent organization to make Christmas easier for some families in these tough times.”
In addition to giving out gift certificates, the foundations wanted to make sure this event was extra special for the community. Several celebrities made appearances as well to put smiles on the shoppers faces. We all need happiness in these dark times.
Some of the celebrities that came out to support included: Steve Cederquist, Actor, HGTV’s Hit Show Flip or Flop and Author of “Get Out Alive”; Steven Benedict, Track, Field Star, Olympic Qualifier and Author of “Good Morning Super Star”; Nimi Adokiye. TV Hit Show Bob Hearts Abishola (Will Air Jan 2021); and Anna Easteden, actress on “Days of Our Lives”.
“The Mercy Warehouse is proud to be partnering with GUARDaHEART to help those in need in our community,” John Hudgins, Director of the Mercy Warehouse, said. “It is both organizations’ desire to serve, assist, and protect the dignity of individuals who need a helping hand. We are excited about the opportunities that partnering our organizations has provided. Look, see, and do something about it!”
This event could not have been possible without passionate volunteers. The following individuals were a tremendous help in curating the event: Lena Matheos, The Mercy Warehouse Employee; Pastor Naomi C. Theunissen Martin, The Mercy Warehouse Manager; Brianna Green from GUARDaHEART Foundation and Estrella Harrington, Founder of GUARDaHEART and Pastor John Hudgins, Director of The Mercy Warehouse; and endless other people involved.
Both the GUARDaHEART Foundation and Mercy Warehouse Nonprofit are active during the holidays and continue all year round in a variety of roles to help the community. Mercy Warehouse is located at 27671 La Paz Rd, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677. GUARDaHEART Foundation is best reached online at www.guardaheart.org.
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About GUARDaHEART Foundation
GUARDaHEART Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that provides education to the community, corporations, Native American organizations, unions, and individuals to promote heart disease awareness, detection, and prevention. Our mission is to empower communities through preventative action and to reduce the risk of heart disease worldwide.
GUARDaHEART is currently working with the community to provide No-Cost COVID-19 Antibody Testing Events. GUARDaHEART is the organizer of the community events and all tests provided are performed by two CLIA Certified Laboratories.
Website: www.guardaheart.org “
Additional Information: Organizations interested in partnering with GUARDaHEART Foundation please contact Yvette Morales at YMoralesY@YM-PR.com or 949-
About Mercy Warehouse
In the early 1990’s, Mike Hudgins, the founder of The Mercy Warehouse, was on a humanitarian trip to the impoverished city of Calcutta, now named Kolkata. While there, he decided that he would visit Mother Teresa. He wound up speaking with her in her compound while seated on a bench outside her bedroom door. She told him that he needed to “look, see, and do something about it” – even in his own hometown. This became the driving vision behind The Mercy Warehouse. We began doing just that in 2008 during the recession and have been helping those in need ever since.
The Mercy Warehouse takes in tax-deductible donations of unwanted goods, clothing, and furniture. We then sort and store them in our 20,000 square-foot facility. Our thrift store is open for sales every day.
We use the profits from those sales to purchase food for needy families both in our own area and abroad. Through this process we are able to provide food for over 1000 people weekly.
We currently feed over 1,000 people every week through our local food bank in Laguna Niguel, our weekly homeless outreaches into Santa Ana and Los Angeles, and through our sponsorship of three orphanages in Tiajuana, Mexico.
Website: www.MercyWarehouse.