The Scheu Family YMCA of Upland hosted its annual “Jingle and Mingle” holiday celebration on Dec. 10, organized by San Bernardino County Supervisor Jesse Armendarez.
The event brought together local residents, artists, and community leaders for a festive evening filled with activities and fellowship, including gift donations, free food, hot chocolate, opportunities to speak with the County Supervisor and festive music.
The evening featured activities organized by YMCA staff and volunteers, creating a welcoming and family-friendly environment.
Trinity Ienni, a YMCA employee who worked at the event, shared, “I did the hot chocolate bar. It did get pretty busy, but it was just awesome to be able to interact with the people that came up to me.”
The turnout for the event exeded expectations, with over 350 attendees, according to Supervisor Armendarez.
He stressed the significance of this community engagement.
“We literally provided for the anticipation of about 200, and I believe we surpassed that. We ran out of everything,” he said. “When you have this many people show up to an event who want to show support, that means we’re getting the message out that we are here.”
Supervisor Armendarez used the event to reflect on key initiatives from the past year, including efforts to combat homelessness, address mental health and raise awareness about fentanyl dangers.
“Last year, it was really getting the office of suicide prevention rolling and building partners with our mental health facilities, and getting the word out on our fentanyl campaign,” he said.
He also spoke about the importance of collaboration.
“We oversee mental health, homelessness, hospitals, sheriffs and fire departments,” he said. “We are that safety net for those who don’t have a lot of people to turn to. So, I feel like it’s my opportunity during the holidays, not only to give back to the community but to pay it forward.”
Looking ahead, Armendarez said that his office will focus on job creation and mentorship programs for foster youth in 2025.
“You’re going to see us talking a lot more about job creation and high-paying jobs,” he said. “We’re also working with our foster youth to try and fill some type of mentorship programs so that we can keep them from becoming a statistic.”
Attendees appreciated the supervisor’s recognition of community contributions during his speech.
“He recognized everyone that I think should have been recognized,” Ienni said. “He made sure to include the YMCA as well since we were the ones hosting the event. The speech was really well put together.”
The evening provided a platform for residents to engage with one another and celebrate the holiday season.
“Setting up was even fun because we’re pretty much like a big family here at the Y,” Ienni said.
The event also underscored the importance of community efforts to address local challenges. Armendarez expressed his optimism about the future.
“San Bernardino County is a great community to live in,” he said. “I think the more we continue to move forward, we’re going to create opportunity. You’re going to see more and more people want to live here and play here and create business here.”
