Holiday With Heroes: 125 Kids, 125 Heroes, One Unforgettable Night

The Poway Community Foundation is proud to support the Kiwanis Club of Poway with a second-year grant of $10,000 for their Holiday With Heroes event, an evening that turns holiday shopping into something far more meaningful: connection.

This year's grant helped bring the magic to 125 children from three local Title 1 schools in Poway. Each child was paired one-on-one with a hero, a first responder, military member, or community volunteer, for a two-hour holiday experience built around shopping, food, fun, and memories that last well beyond December.

By the end of the night, every child left with a bag of gifts they picked out themselves for their family, special wrapped presents just for them, and a bag of household essentials, including blankets, hygiene supplies, and first aid kits.

More Than Gifts

The presents matter. But the heart of Holiday With Heroes is something harder to wrap: two uninterrupted hours where a child in uniform's full attention is theirs, and theirs alone. For a lot of kids, that kind of undivided presence from someone they look up to is the real gift.

At the Poway Community Foundation, we believe community partnerships like this one show what's possible when neighbors show up for each other. Holiday With Heroes brings first responders, military members, volunteers, local schools, and families together around a single shared purpose: making sure every child feels supported and celebrated, especially during the holidays.

The Impact Continues

Nothing goes to waste. Any items remaining after the event are donated to Youth In Transition, extending the reach of this grant to even more children and families in our community.

We're grateful to the Kiwanis Club of Poway for their continued leadership on this event, and to every hero who gave their time this season. Thank you for making the holidays a little brighter for 125 Poway kids.