Storyland Helps Bring the Aloha Spirit to Christmas in July at the Village of Hope

Storyland Helps Bring the Aloha Spirit to Christmas in July at the Village of Hope

Village of Hope, Tustin, CA

On July 31st, holiday cheer arrived in the middle of summer as Orange County Rescue Mission hosted its 14th Annual Christmas in July, “Aloha Style,” at their Village of Hope in Tustin. The tropical-themed celebration brought games, back-to-school supplies, and a full day of joy to the families who call OCRM home. Storyland Studios was proud to take part.

Christmas in July isn’t just an annual event; it serves a purpose that lasts the year-round. Charitable giving tends to slow during the summer months, but it’s the exact time families start looking toward the back-to-school season. The celebration is a reminder that support for these organizations shouldn’t be considered just seasonally. Every booth provided an opportunity for OCRM families to restock essential supplies that will help them keep steady footing throughout the year.

Storyland has worked closely with OCRM for nearly eight years, and their Village of Hope has become one of the relationships that best reflects who we are. This is an organization that treats the people it serves as students rather than statistics, and surrounds them with dignity, beauty, and belief. A celebration built entirely around joy was exactly the kind of effort we wanted to support.

For this year’s event, Storyland sponsored a booth and staffed it with volunteers from our team, providing a moment of friendly competition throughout the afternoon. At each booth, participatory raffle tickets for baskets filled with back-to-school supplies were handed out, ensuring families were well stocked for the upcoming school year.

Our team was happy to report that this year, our booth was in good company. Every sponsorship for this year’s celebration was filled, from the standard booths to the headline Aloha Christmas sponsorship, a clear sign of how deeply this community invests in its neighbors.

“This is the kind of day our team values most. It is not about us. It is about the children and families of the Village of Hope having the chance to simply enjoy an afternoon, and to feel how many people are in their corner. Seeing them light up at our booth made every moment worthwhile.”

— Jennifer Lee, Financial Controller, Storyland Studios

By every measure, the day delivered. More than 230 guests filled the campus, and the atmosphere was something to experience. A Beach Boys cover band kept the energy high, while hula and Polynesian dancers brought the Aloha theme to life. Children moved happily from one activity to the next, and the adults were quick to join in too, taking on the table games, soccer, and basketball with real enthusiasm.

“It was wonderful to be a part of creating a moment for families to enjoy festivities. OCRM has a really solid mission, and they know how to achieve the goals they set out to, which makes working with them all the more rewarding. I would love to volunteer with them again and see even more of how they function, how they elevate and value people.”

— Andrew Niedziela, Storyland Studios

The event reflects a larger principle behind Storyland’s work. We do not measure success by a single moment, a grand opening or a project kickoff. We measure it by what still matters years later, in the lives of real people.

“Our relationship with Orange County Rescue Mission is one I am especially proud of. We believe every person deserves to be surrounded by beauty, and that conviction sits at the center of everything we create at Storyland. A day like this is another expression of that same belief. We are not here for a single project. We are here for the long term.”

— Mel McGowan, Chief Creative Officer, Storyland Studios

The generosity carried well beyond the afternoon itself. This year’s celebration raised $75,000 in cash donations, resources that help OCRM provide the basic needs and comprehensive services for the men, women, and children living on its campuses. The event also gathered diapers, wipes, and pull-ups to care for the more than 20 babies and toddlers at the Village of Hope for the rest of the year. Together, these provisions help bring healing and restoration, carrying OCRM’s students from their hardest moments toward stability, independence, and transformed lives.

“We are deeply grateful for partners like Storyland, who understand that transforming lives requires an entire community. Their support does more than fund programs, it sends a powerful message to the people we serve that they are seen, valued, and not forgotten by the world beyond our doors. We truly believe that when someone enters our Village of Hope, it marks the end of their homelessness. None of this would be possible without the steadfast support and partnership of organizations like Storyland.”

— Bryan Crain, President and CEO, Orange County Rescue Mission

For Storyland, this is what partnership looks like. Not a name on a banner, but a team present and engaged, invested in the people the Village of Hope serves.

To learn more about Orange County Rescue Mission and the work it does across Southern California, visit rescuemission.org.

To learn more about Storyland’s previous partnerships with Orange County Rescue Mission visit: https://www.storylandstudios.com/work/orange-county-rescue-mission/