Catholic Charities of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties

COACHELLA, CA – The Easter Bunny arrived April 16 for 800 East Valley participants at Veterans Memorial Park, courtesy of Catholic Charities. The Easter Picnic, which is in its fifth years, has become an Annual Event hosted and organized by Catholic Charities as a safe fun day for the children and their families.

Most importantly,” says Belinda Marquez, Catholic Charities’ Director of Family Assistance Services for Riverside County, “the picnic provides us all with the opportunity to reach out to struggling families. Working together we can truly make an impact.”

As part of the festivities, 300 Easter Baskets were provided to children 12 and under. Activities included Pony rides, 2 Super Slides, 1 Bouncer, Egg Coloring, bobbing for Ducks, face painting, balloons, games, and jumpers. Dora the Explorer & Elmo helped lead the fun. Raffles included emergency kits, bikes and toys.

Music and Live Entertainment were available throughout the day by the La Hora Del Sol with Roger Larranaga, Coachella Valley Unified School District, Transformers, Mariachi Performers, and the Aztec Dancers. Perhaps the biggest attraction of the day was the free meal provided. Jessica Meza, an employee and volunteer at Catholic Charities, commented that “we gave out 800 hot dogs, soda, chips, popcorn and sno-cones.”

Forty-three volunteers and dozens of sponsors helped make the day run smoothly. Easter Baskets were prepared by Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Sacred Heart School and Xavier Prep School students.

There were booths with non-profit organizations and vendors addressing the needs of families in our local community. There was a range of informational booths available to promote community awareness, such as available assistance for seniors, adults, and children. Attendees received information on how to apply for health care insurance, Medi-Cal information programs and food stamps. At the medical assistance booths there were free screenings for Blood Pressure and Diabetes, and immunization services were available.
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