Fred Jordan Missions: 20 Years, 100,000 Kids

Thanks to the generosity of individuals and corporate sponsors, 5,000 underprivileged children received brand-new shoes, clothing, school supplies, and haircuts at the Fred Jordan Missions’ 20th annual back-to-school giveaway in Los Angeles’s Skid Row.

On October 2, 2008, hundreds of volunteers distributed thousands of articles of brand-new clothing donated by companies such as Guess and Lucky Brand Jeans. Foot Locker provided $10,000 worth of new shoes and socks for every child. In-N-Out Burger sent two large kitchens on wheels to serve cheeseburgers, cold drinks, and crisp red apples. The law firm of Lerner, Lauzon, and Jamarra, LLP purchased and distributed backpacks filled with school supplies. Procter and Gamble employees distributed bags filled with toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, and other personal hygiene products. And more than 100 Paul Mitchell Future Professionals transformed the streets of Skid Row into a giant hair salon, providing haircuts for the children and handing out goody bags filled with Tea Tree Shampoo and Conditioner, hand sanitizer, school supplies, and snacks. The bags were donated by the Be Nice (Or Else) Team from Paul Mitchell The School – Costa Mesa, who raised the necessary funds through bake sales, barbecues, and a Hollywood night club-style dance.

The day started with a Red Carpet Fashion Show, put on by inner-city children dressed in their new clothes and shoes. Then the kids gathered around the stage to blow out the candles on L.A.’s largest birthday cake, made with 5,000 cupcakes and donated by Vons grocery stores. As news helicopters hovered overhead, thousands of needy families and children wrapped around several city blocks, waiting patiently in line to be served.

“The first family arrived 52 hours before the event started, quickly followed by hundreds more, to make certain their children wouldn’t miss out on the much-needed shoes, clothes, and all the other supplies,” said Willie Jordan, president of Fred Jordan Missions. “Suffice it to say, it was a great day. Thank God for his goodness to the poor!”

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