The holidays came a few weeks early for 400 of the most underserved children and their families from the Inland Empire. Thursday, Dec. 8, hundreds of children from Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee and the surrounding communities were welcomed by special invitation to enjoy a 40,000-square foot winter wonderland-themed holiday extravaganza inside the Pechanga Summit Events Center.

During Pechanga’s sixth “Holiday of Hope” event, the guests of honor enjoyed nine different holiday activities including photos with Santa, watching holiday movies by a fire, enjoying a traditional holiday meal, riding a train, listening to Christmas singers from local high school choirs, playing holiday bingo and more.

They even got to say hello to Los Angeles Lakers Legends AC Green and Robert Horry who were volunteering for the event. Each child and his or her family were identified by the Temecula, Lake Elsinore and Murrieta School Districts as in-need individuals. According to a May 2022 report, there are 3,316 homeless children and adults in Riverside County, up from 2020’s count of 2,884.

“The Holiday of Hope event is something we look forward to hosting each year. So many smiling faces show us the event brightens a lot of people’s lives here in our region,” Andrew Masiel Sr., President of the Pechanga Development Corporation, said. “We understand how important holiday memories are for children as they grow up and how special they can be. The Temecula Valley is our home so to be able to give back and to partner with our local school districts to show these children and families that people are out there who care a lot about their well-being, this is what the holidays are all about.”

Lakers Legend AC Green said, “Every year I come, it’s just fantastic. Just seeing what they’re doing and how Pechanga has done just great in the community. Understanding people, their needs, knowing it’s the season, yes, but all year round. They are always reaching out seeing how they can help and do more. So I always love coming here, and working with them throughout the year.”

Each of the 400 children attending the Holiday of Hope event got to choose his or her very own, age-appropriate gift. Their families were also each given a $100 gift card. Pechanga also provided shuttle service to some of the families who live in Murrieta and Lake Elsinore so they could be sure to get to the Holiday of Hope event.

The kids and families also enjoyed musical performances by the Chaparral and Great Oak high school choirs. The groups generously agreed to donate their time to this event.

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TEMECULA (CNS) – After shutting down Saturday, Pechanga Resort Casino announced today it has given a storehouse of food — about $100,000 worth from its 20 restaurants and bars — to needy and homeless people in the region, a spokesperson said.

On Wednesday, Pechanga began sharing 25-pound bags of onions, carrots and celery, in addition to pallets of fresh strawberries and blackberries, thousands of pounds of cantaloupes and honeydew melons, more than 460 gallons of milk, as well as dairy products, among many other food items, said Media and Public Relations Director Ciara Green.

The food was given to three Riverside County charities that regularly support the region’s disadvantaged and homeless populations: Project T.O.U.C.H. and the Community Mission of Hope, both Temecula-based, and the Murrieta Pantry.

“We debated whether we would stop taking new clients because of the food issue,” said Anne Unmacht, director of Project T.O.U.C.H. which offers an emergency women’s shelter and transitional housing for homeless individuals and families. “We get between five and 10 new clients each week who need emergency transitional housing and this donation from Pechanga will allow us to continue offering those services. We are so grateful.”

One of the recipients of the generosity was single mother of three and client of Project T.O.U.C.H, Juliann Gonzalez.

“Honestly, I feel blessed … it kind of gives me a lot of weight off my shoulders, especially these next coming weeks, where there’s not going to be really anything at the store,” Gonzalez said. “I am worried about that because I have three kids always needing something.”

Gonzalez said that she also has an elderly mother she cares for.

The Community Mission of Hope provides food services and assistance for more than 5,000 families each year throughout southwest Riverside County.

It is currently offering drive-through food assistance for the needy, but recent grocery store product unavailability has severely cut what it can offer.

Jared Munoa, president of the Pechanga Development Corporation, said he was glad the resort could be there for those who need it.

“We’re happy to know that people who need it most in our region will be getting the food assistance they need during this difficult time,” said Munoa. “The amount of food service our team provides can be staggering, and we give our guests the best quality. We are very glad it’s going to deserving folks who are undergoing unprecedented circumstances.”

Pechanga’s closure was announced to last through the end of March, and its team members are receiving their base pay and benefits during that time.

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