She said Santa “and his brother” hand out gifts that have been sorted by volunteers for gender- and age-appropriateness.
Unless there is a last-minute flurry of donations, some of the children may go away empty-handed, Arant said, because the donor who has in the past provided 1,000 to 2,000 toys for the event had to scale back that donation to 500 toys.
The plea came as several nonprofits in Glendale and Burbank and other neighboring communities said they were struggling to fulfill increased demand from clients for holiday gift help.
Arant said the precarious financial situation for many of the families that attend Dinner-in-the-Park means their children may receive just one gift at home, if that.
“They bring their kids out to our dinner, where it’s happy and festive,” Arant said. “Everybody’s there to have a great time.”
To make a donation, take a new, unwrapped toy to the Union Station Adult Center, 412 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Office hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday next week, and Arant asked that toy donations arrive by Wednesday so volunteers would have time to sort them before Christmas Day.
Arant said the agency is grateful for the generosity of its supporters.
“We’re just asking for a little extra help this year,” she said.
