Volunteers Assemble 4,500 Gift Bags For Homebound Seniors

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Volunteers, including Mayor Eric Garcetti and his wife, assembled thousands of gift bags Wednesday to be delivered to about 4,500 homebound seniors.

The gifts are the result of a fundraising drive, launched by the mayor's wife, Amy Elaine Wakeland, to replace 2,000 care packages destroyed Dec. 8 in a fire that razed an under-construction, 1-million-square-foot-plus apartment building in downtown.

"This outpouring of support shows that L.A. is truly a city of angels," Wakeland said. "Mayor Garcetti and I want to thank everyone who contributed their time and money to spreading some holiday cheer to our neighbors in need."

The fundraising effort raised more than $180,000, exceeding the original goal of replacing the 2,000 packages, and brought in enough funds to pay for gifts for all 4,500 seniors who receive home-delivered meals through a city Department of Aging program.

Volunteers will be stuffing gift bags with blankets, slippers, toiletries, postage stamps and playing cards, as well as write holiday notes to the seniors, until 4 p.m.

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