Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Festive Winter Wonderland Will Comfort Eaton Fire Survivors

STAFF REPORT

Lena L. Kennedy, founder and creator of the Winter Wonderland initiative. [Courtesy photo]

Event promises care, dignity, healing, and programming

On December 23, Hillside Tabernacle Church in Altadena will be transformed into a festive Winter Wonderland, a gathering designed to uplift families and seniors recovering from the Eaton Fire. Hosted by Community Women Vital Voices (CWVV) in collaboration with Black Clergy, Black Leadership, and local nonprofit partners, the event runs from 3 to 6 p.m. and promises a season of care, joy, and community connection.

Traditionally centered on seniors, this year’s Eaton Fire Senior Summit expands its embrace to entire households. Recognizing the heightened needs of families navigating displacement and loss, CWVV has broadened the scope to include children and loved ones—ensuring that support and celebration are shared across generations.

“The CWVV Eaton Fire Senior Summit Winter Wonderland is more than an event—it is a moment of care, dignity, healing, and programming that builds healthy minds to make critical decisions,” said President Lena L. Kennedy, founder and creator of the Winter Wonderland initiative. “As we serve Altadena and Pasadena survivors, we are creating a warm space where seniors are seen, supported, and reminded that they are not walking this recovery journey alone.”

Guests will find a welcoming environment filled with seasonal delights: photos with Santa, a Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory experience, arts and crafts, face painting, caroling, and live holiday music. Children will receive toys, adults will be gifted as well, and the first 300 RSVPs will receive a gift card. Santa’s Village, decorated trees, and hot food with sweet treats round out the celebration, while small-business vendors and community partners add local flavor.

Additional highlights include the invited Tournament of Roses Queen and her Court, the Village: Mental Health Is Community Health (We Heal Better Together), and Santa’s Dancers—the Dancing Queens of Dena.

“In the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, our seniors have shown incredible strength,” added President Kennedy. “The CWVV Eaton Fire Senior Summit Winter Wonderland honors that resilience by bringing hope, resources, and joy to Altadena and Pasadena survivors during a season that calls us to uplift one another.”

Community Women Vital Voices continues its mission of advocacy, empowerment, and service, particularly for women, families, and seniors navigating crisis and recovery. The Eaton Fire Senior Summit Winter Wonderland stands as a testament to compassion, leadership, and collective care—an invitation to gather, heal, and celebrate together.

Guests are asked to RSVP by December 21 at bit.ly/WWDec23. The first 300 to RSVP will receive a gift card, organizers said.