United Food Bank and #LoveUp Foundation Deliver Christmas Wishes to Families in Need
For more than 20 years, the Johnjay and Rich #LoveUp Foundation has been granting Christmas wishes to children and families in need across Arizona through its yearly Christmas Wish program. The Christmas Wish program grants assistance to needy families by surprising them with gifts, toys, food, and other much needed items this holiday season. The Christmas Wishes were recorded and aired on radio station 104.7, much to the surprise of each nominee, who was secretly nominated by a loved one.
Radio talk show hosts and well-known Valley personalities Johnjay Van Es and Rich Berra—from The Johnjay and Rich Show on 104.7 KISS FM in Phoenix — formed the #LoveUp Foundation in 2017 to be a positive force for change in the lives of children and adults in our community.
The Johnjay & Rich #LoveUp Foundation was created to promote the #LoveUp Movement of spreading love and kindness.
“Our hope is for people in our community to be inspired by #LoveUp and support children facing life in our foster care system,” says Blake Van Es, co-founder of #LoveUp Foundation and wife of Johnjay Van Es.
This year, United Food Bank and #LoveUp provided healthy food items and lots of other gifts for a Christmas dinner and presents for six single mothers and 25 children across Arizona; including, Mesa, Glendale, Apache Junction, Tolleson, Avondale, and Tucson.
You can listen to 2023’s Christmas Wish segments live on the air here.
“This year, the #LoveUp Foundation is eternally grateful to our friends at United Food Bank who so generously provided a holiday turkey and all the fixings for a true holiday meal to each of our Christmas Wish nominees and their children,” said Jessica McClain, Executive Director of the Foundation.
