BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Holidays are a time for families to celebrate together. That of course includes those who are struggling or unhoused.
The Bakersfield Homeless Center hosts carnivals and special events throughout the year to brighten the holidays for local families and children in need.
Easter is right around the corner and the Bakersfield Homeless Center is making sure parents and kids from its community can join in on the fun.
Food, games and lots of fun. This was a celebration for kids and their families. Saturday’s carnival featured a hair dye station, people decorated eggs, and there were a bundle of small minigames for the kids to play for rewards.
“We can do things together with our families,” Carlos Diaz a parent at the Bakersfield Homeless Center said. “Like with our kids we could enjoy all these things. Face painting, get their nails done, food, music, all family fun.”
The Bakersfield Homeless Center puts on two carnivals a year. This one, being the first Easter carnival since COVID. The event also had free books for kids as well as housing materials for the adults.
“Our Easter carnival is a way to bring together our after care and our onsite shelter families,” Marc Casica the supervisor at Bakersfield Homeless Center said. “Kind of show them that we are understanding of them and their situation that they are going through. We want to give them a little bit of a sense of normalcy.”
Other organizations from across Bakersfield hosted fun games for the kids to play. The Bakersfield Police Department, multiple local churches, and even Amazon all had festive tables at the carnival.
“I’m feeling grateful man, I’m feeling grateful,” Diaz said. “This is priceless you know? There’s only so many words I can use to express how grateful I am
The next event for the Bakersfield Homeless center will be in the Summer for Christmas in July.
