The holiday season is a time of hope, generosity, and togetherness and this year, our community truly embodied that spirit. Thanks to the incredible support of our donors, community partners, old and new friends. Together they helped our holiday gift drive be a huge success and brought joy, comfort, and unforgettable moments to the children and families we serve.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who donated toys and funds in support of our holiday efforts. Because of your kindness, hundreds of children experienced the magic of the season; opening gifts, sharing smiles, and feeling the warmth that comes from knowing their community truly cares.
A very special thank you goes to our long-time and devoted supporters, including Pat Tallman and the beloved Be a Santa Program. Through Pat and her amazing network of supporters and friends, countless lives have been touched year after year. We are also sincerely thankful to Logix, Ares Management, and Coldwell Banker Realty for their generosity and continued partnership in making the holidays brighter for our families.
We extend heartfelt appreciation to our board members Kathy Cunningham and Anthony Lee and their friends for hosting the Holiday Boutique. A beautiful and joyful experience that allowed our families to choose gifts with dignity, excitement, and pride. We are also grateful to the Divine 9 and its fraternity and sorority members as well as Casey and Carla Sandino for hosting a toy drive on behalf of our children and helping spread holiday cheer throughout the community.
We are thankful for our corporate partners such as Upkeep and Allied, whose generous donations of toys, bikes, and bedding made a meaningful impact. Our sincere thanks also go to Motor4Toys and the CHP for donating countless toys. Dunn, Pariser & Peyton Team, and Bike Angels for delivering and donating bicycles that brought wide smiles and endless excitement, and the San Fernando Valley Woodworkers for their thoughtful, handmade wooden toys that will be treasured for years to come.
A huge thank you to the Toluca Lake Magical Holiday Parade for collecting toys on Christmas Eve for our children and families. This truly magical evening will not only fill the streets of Toluca Lake with holiday cheer, but also helped our families feel seen, supported, and wrapped in the warmth of the season.
The holidays are extra special because of the power of community; neighbors, friends, and partners coming together to uplift one another, spread joy, and remind our families that they are never alone. We are deeply grateful for every act of kindness that made this holiday season one filled with hope, connection, and celebration.
From all of us, thank you for making the holidays brighter and a little more magical for our families.
Check out some more photos below!
The holiday season was made brighter thanks to an incredible two-day toy drive led by Moto Cars and the generous car community. Over the course of the event, more than 1,300 gifts were donated, making it one of the largest toy drives in the area. Volunteers and staff worked tirelessly behind the scenes, utilizing four trucks and a trailer to transport donations, with deliveries completed in North Hollywood. The dedication and teamwork displayed throughout both days ensured that everything was prepared for a successful and impactful toy giveaway.
This event was a powerful example of generosity, collaboration, and community spirit in action. Volunteers came together, working diligently on Saturday to prepare for Sunday’s large-scale distribution, all with the shared goal of bringing joy to children and families. Penny Lane Centers was incredibly fortunate to receive a significant portion of these donations, ensuring that our clients and families experienced a joyful and memorable Christmas. We are deeply grateful to Moto Cars, the volunteers, and the car community for coming together to make such a meaningful difference during the holiday season.
Check out some more photos below!
On December 24th, the Toluca Lake Magical Holiday Parade brought joy, generosity, and true holiday spirit to the community—while also making a meaningful impact for the children, youth, and families of Penny Lane Centers. As volunteers gathered to support the parade, beautifully decorated floats filled the streets with cheer, creating a magical atmosphere despite the cold and rainy weather. The dedication and kindness of everyone involved was evident, from the parade organizers to the volunteers who worked behind the scenes to ensure the evening was a success.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Toluca Lake Magical Holiday Parade and all the volunteers who helped collect toy donations on Christmas Eve for our families. This special evening was about more than celebration—it was about showing our children and families that they are seen, supported, and deeply cared for. Braving the elements with smiles and generosity, this community wrapped Penny Lane families in warmth, hope, and holiday magic. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make the season brighter for those in need.
Check out some photos below!
Magical Holiday Parade Website
A Magical Holiday Boutique Filled with Joy, Generosity, and Community
This holiday season, the Penny Lane Centers Holiday Boutique was nothing short of magical. Thanks to the incredible generosity and dedication of our community, more than 700 individuals were able to shop for toys and gifts, creating joyful moments and meaningful memories for children and families.
At the heart of this beautiful event was Kathy Cunningham, whose leadership, vision, and tireless commitment brought the Holiday Boutique to life once again. Alongside Kathy was an amazing group of volunteers—our very own “holiday elves”—including the Kappas, Jack and Jill, Divine 9 organizations, and so many others who gave their time, energy, and hearts to ensure every family felt welcomed and supported. Special shout out to the 3rd and 4th grade classrooms/parents at Oakwood School for answering the call with donations and volunteerism.
The Boutique was filled with laughter, excitement, and holiday cheer as families browsed shelves stocked with toys, gifts, and surprises for children of all ages. For many parents and caregivers, the opportunity to “shop” with dignity and choice made the experience especially meaningful.
We also want to extend our deepest gratitude to our Penny Lane Centers staff, who worked behind the scenes and on the floor to make the day run smoothly. From crowd control to guiding families and helping where it was needed our staff ensured that the event was safe, joyful, and stress-free for everyone involved.
The Holiday Boutique was a powerful reminder of what can happen when a community comes together with compassion and purpose. Because of you, hundreds of children felt the magic of the holidays and hundreds of families felt supported, seen, and cared for.
Thank you to everyone who made this event possible. You truly helped turn generosity into joy and made this holiday season brighter for the Penny Lane Centers community.
Check out some more photos below!
To Whom It May Concern,
I wanted to take a moment to share the wonderful experience my family had at your 16th Annual Holiday Boutique. I can’t fully express how much events like this truly make the holiday season special for both our foster children and our birth children. We were incredibly humbled and deeply appreciative of the thoughtful gifts provided for everyone in our household. I can only imagine the amount of manpower, hours, and dedication—blood, sweat, and tears—that went into making an event like this possible, and it was truly a job well done.
The generosity shown through the donations, gifts, and food was a welcome and joyful surprise. Everyone at the event was so cheerful, helpful, and kind. The kids especially loved listening to holiday music while we enjoyed our burgers together, talking about the gifts we had just received and how excited we were to play with them on Christmas morning.
I don’t know if you hear it enough, but thank you. Thank you to every person involved—staff, affiliates, donors, volunteers, and supporters. While foster parents take on the challenging and rewarding job of raising the wonderful children we are privileged to care for, your agency carries the equally important responsibility of providing support not just in moments of need, but throughout the year with steadfast diligence, patience, and love. Some might call it a thankless job, but I believe I can speak for every family under your umbrella when I say how deeply we appreciate everything you do to make our role smoother and more manageable.
From the paper pushers to the social workers in the field, the managers, and the accountants—every person contributes something meaningful to Penny Lane Centers, making it an agency we would wholeheartedly recommend. Everyone plays a role in what is not only a successful organization, but more importantly, a community of humans helping other humans. Your work is rooted in family, and I am proud to have such a strong matriarch guiding mine.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
From the bottom of all ten of our hearts,
The Lovette Family
This holiday season, Penny Lane Centers was fortunate to receive a wonderful gift of generosity from the California Highway Patrol. Community Officers Coady Sturgis and their dedicated team went above and beyond to provide fabulous Christmas gifts for the children served by Penny Lane. Their kindness and commitment helped ensure that many of our children experienced the joy and excitement that make the holidays so special.
Acts of generosity like this remind us of the powerful impact community partnerships can have on the lives of children and families. We are deeply grateful to the California Highway Patrol and to Officers Coady Sturgis and their team for taking the time to support our children and spread holiday cheer. Their thoughtfulness helped make this season brighter and more meaningful for the Penny Lane children we serve.
Check out some more photos below!
