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For Immediate Release |
Contact: William Marshall, Jr. |
Congresswoman Laura Richardson Starts First Ever “Snow Days for Christmas” at Nickerson Gardens Public Housing Community in So. Central Los Angeles. |
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LONG BEACH, CA — In an effort to bring the Christmas spirit of giving to families experiencing hardships during the challenging economic times, Congresswoman Laura Richardson will kick off her Congressional “Snow Days for Christmas” project by bringing approximately 10 tons real snow to the Nickerson Gardens Public Housing Community on Saturday, December 20, 2008 at Nickerson Gardens, Recreation Center, 11251 Compton Ave., Los Angeles, CA from 12:00PM to 4:00PM. “When I attended a holiday celebration at Nickerson Gardens Housing Development last Christmas,” Congresswoman Richardson recollected, “I asked some of the children if they had ever seen or felt snow. I was troubled to discover that so many of the children had not ever experienced a snow fall, and I promised myself and the children there would be snow for them this Christmas. Hopefully this will help them celebrate the Christmas holiday and create happy memories for them for a long time.” As a member of the Long Beach City Council, Congresswoman Richardson was first to bring an artificial snow machine to the 6th District in 2004 and in 2005. This year, she is starting the program in the most challenged area in our community. Nickerson Gardens Public Housing Community was built in 1955 and is spread across 68.6 miles of acreage. It has 1,066 apartment units, with a total of 2,763 residents living in 897 households, with 23% being children from the ages of 6-13 years of age. The average family income is $15,122 slightly above the federal poverty level, and it is estimated that over 478 people are currently employed in the housing community. ### |
