Jimmy Kimmel, his family and TV colleagues spread holiday joy for families at LA's St. Joseph Center

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Saturday, December 7, 2024
'Jimmy Kimmel Live' team brings joy to others this holiday season
Jimmy Kimmel, his family, and TV colleagues help spread holiday joy, smiles for deserving families at St. Joseph Center

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at one special spot in Downtown L.A. and it's thanks to talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, his family and colleagues.

Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney, the executive producer for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" partnered with St. Joseph Center in Los Angeles for their annual Winter Wonderland Event to bring holiday cheer to families.

"We've been meeting a lot of the families, we brought gifts for the kids and we're decorating," said Kimmel. "I'm glad Dr. Smith you're standing in front of the tree because Guillermo and I just did a very bad job. It's very 'Charlie Brown-esque.' But I think when it's dark it'll look really good. Right, Guillermo?"

The "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" team has partnered with St. Joseph Center since 2019. The nonprofit organization supports low-income and unhoused individuals and families through housing, mental health services, education and much more.

"This site represents the symbolic change that we want to make," said CEO & President Dr. Ryan Smith. "We want to bring people inside. We want to make sure they have transitional housing. We want to make sure they move on to permanent housing and we're so grateful for folks like Jimmy and Molly and the entire St. Joseph Center staff who are making a difference."

Falesha Greeno has been on the receiving end of help from St Joseph Center.

"It's making the kids happy if nothing else. And the decorating and stuff," said Greeno. "Because this could be depressing going through this. So, it helps us to build us up a little bit."

St. Joseph Center honored Kimmel and McNearney with their own street signs and a kid's area they call "Kimmel corner." The feeling of reaching out and giving back can get emotional.

"I think it mostly is seeing our family, our 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' family here intermingling with the St. Joseph Center family and the families here," said McNearney. "I'm really proud of the group of people we work with. They're just good, decent human beings."

This site alone has transitioned about 60 families into permanent housing, and they say there's nearly 20 more locations just like this one. Their goal is to make sure no family is left on the streets.

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