This year is quickly coming to an end, and as we sit back and think of all that has happened in 2024, we cannot forget all of the happy, feel-good moments that made us smile.
Making memories with friends and family, communities coming together to support each other and more joyful moments filled 2024.
Take a look at some below:
Two brothers help 'Hood Santa' after toys are stolen
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A man known for his years of charity received a holiday surprise from others after someone broke into the U-Haul in Downey filled with toys ready to be delivered to children in need.
Tito Rodriguez, known as "Hood Santa," has organized the Southern California toy drive every year for the past 13 years, putting together a concert and toy drive for his “Hearts Foundation.”
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In an effort to save the toy drive and Christmas for many children, brothers Vic and Kev Kouyoumjian, are donating six pallets of toys, 1,200 total.
The brothers grew up in a needy family and remember getting one gift that they would have to share while hearing classmates talk about receiving multiple presents. However, today they run World Tech Toys and when they heard about the stolen toys, they wanted to help.
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‘It's a day of beauty.' Orange County cancer survivors get makeovers
For women fighting cancer, one of the biggest challenges is dealing with physical changes like losing their hair. To help with that challenge, The City of Hope Orange County treated a special group of cancer survivors to full makeovers ahead of the holiday season Friday.
“(I’m) getting a little eyelash, a little wispy look, a little glam,” said Joanna Mendez, 42, a cancer survivor who spent her morning at the salon. “I feel so special right now.”
The day of pampering was made possible through a generous donation from a former cancer patient at the City of Hope. The makeovers took place at Marybelle’s Salon, which is inside the Irvine treatment center and provides free services to patients.
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San Dimas family credits boy's love for Dodgers for beating cancer
While a San Dimas family cheers on the Dodgers this World Series, they say they also have the Boys in Blue to thank for playing a large part in a young boy’s successful fight against cancer.
Ayden Balderas, 9, is officially cancer-free after he battled rhabdomyosarcoma – a type of soft tissue cancer – and won. For the better half of a year, however, it was a terrifying ordeal for the boy and his family.
“He asked me two questions – am I going to die and am I going to be able to play baseball,” Alyssa said.
The latter was an important question for the baseball-loving child, who hails from a family of Dodger diehards. It’s that same exact love for the team, however, that helped the boy overcome the disease.
With the help of friends, family and his parents’ co-workers, Ayden was able to go to 10 games. It was a great escape from his illness that the boy’s family said contributed to his improving health.
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‘Best day of my life': Dodger fan describes moment he caught Freddie Freeman's grand slam ball
A surprise trip to Dodger Stadium became the best day of a young Dodger fan’s life.
When Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam to save the Dodgers who were trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the 10th inning in Game 1 of the World Series Friday night, he was a hero to all Dodger fans, including 10-year-old Zachary.
The 5th grader caught the ball that was coming directly toward where he and his parents were sitting.
It was already a surprise that Zachary was attending the game as the boy with braces had been initially told by his parents that he was going to the dentist. The 10-year-old, who was wearing his Dodger gear all day for the game anyway, was already excited to be at Dodger Stadium.
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East LA elementary school teacher uses magic tricks to encourage good attendance
With a magic word and a lot of enthusiasm, an elementary school teacher in East Los Angeles is encouraging good attendance among his students.
Oscar Vázquez, a first-grade teacher at KIPP Iluminar, is using magic tricks to motivate his students to show up to class.
“They are able to come out of their shell more. Some students that were very timid in the beginning are coming out, being able to talk,” Vázquez said. “They’re able to speak more to their partners and their peers.”
If his class had a good attendance week, he surprises them with a new magic trick on Fridays.
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Family paints grandma's arms on sweaters for a hug that will last forever
Christian Mier came across a video on social media when she got an idea. She quickly texted her family group chat, bought supplies and told everyone to meet at grandma’s house.
María Guadián, her 86-year-old grandmother, did not expect to see her house filled with her grandchildren. But before she knew it, she was having her arms painted and giving each of them a tight hug.
The video shared on social media garnered over 66 million views on TikTok. Mier said she never expected her video to receive so much attention.
Thousands of viewers left comments on Mier's TikTok video, expressing how it brought them to tears and some saying it inspired them to do the same thing with their own grandparents.
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Video of fruit vendor spotted praying before his workday goes viral
A Gardena fruit vendor’s moment of faith went viral after he was recorded kneeling in prayer before beginning his workday.
Widespread video of Luis Angel Morales was posted on TikTok earlier this week has since garnered more than 1 million views. The video, taken by another user, shows Morales praying in front of his fruit cart with text on the screen that reads, “Support street vendors, hopefully he makes money.”
“I entrust myself in God a lot,” Morales, a devout Catholic, said.
The fruit vendor said he arrived in the U.S. from Puebla, Mexico just two months ago and with him, brought his diligence in supporting his family back home and his faith. He said his morals were instilled in him by his parents.
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Elementary school custodian receives emotional send-off for his retirement
With hand-drawn posters, cheers and applause, children at a Northern California elementary school held a heartwarming celebration for their custodian’s retirement.
Pedro Reyes, originally from Michoacan, Mexico, worked at Monte Bella Elementary in Salinas ever since the school first opened a decade ago.
He would arrive at his shift early to make sure the campus was nice and clean before the kids arrived.
Reyes had no idea the school was going to have a celebration for him. He said he was at work doing his usual duties when they called him out to the playground and he was greeted by a crowd of children cheering for him and thanking him for his hard work.
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Student athletes help Castaic shelter dogs get adopted
Student athletes from the Santa Clarita Valley using their athletic skills to help shelter dogs in Castaic and to promote their adoption via social media.
Track and field athletes at West Ranch High School in Stevenson Ranch have been supporting the “Run with Dogs” initiative since their coach Karen Cirricione started the campaign this year.
As the high school runners hit the trail for their morning run, they run alongside shelter dogs that are ready for adoption from the Castaic Animal Care Center. Then the teens share the information and/or pictures of dogs they ran with.
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‘There for each other.' LASD medic team escorts late colleague's daughter to her first day of 2nd grade
Colleagues of a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy who died after his battle with cancer showed up in a big way on Wednesday morning.
Many students at Washington Elementary School in Glendora had the first-day jitters on Wednesday, but one 6-year-old girl had extra support thanks to her late father's colleagues. In a touching sendoff for her first day of school, LASD deputies lined up to give the young girl hugs and encouraging words.
The girl's father, sheriff's deputy Gonzalo Galvez, was part of LASD's Tactical Medic team. He lost his battle with gastric cancer at the age of 47, leaving his wife and three children behind.
Galvez was an army veteran and served LASD for 24 years.
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Homeowner reunited with his cat as fire engulfs his Tarzana home
A distraught homeowner pleaded with firefighters to save his cat as his house caught on fire Thursday night in Tarzana.
Video from the scene showed firefighters with the Los Angeles Fire Department rushing in and around the home on Topham Street just off Lyndley Avenue, trying to extinguish the flames.
Isaac Vaizman, the homeowner, begged them to go inside and rescue his cat from the room. Finally, a firefighter was seen walking towards the man while holding his cat.
The man took his beloved pet in his arms and fell to his knees in tears. The 14-year-old cat named Cheetah was taken to the vet to be evaluated.
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Mother and son earn high school diploma, graduate together
A mother and son received their high school diplomas and were able to graduate together through a free, online LA County program.
Eduardo Ramirez, 26, and his mom Margarita wore their caps and gowns as they attended their graduation ceremony together.
The two earned their high school diploma through a free, online high school program that is run by LA County libraries.
Ramirez said he had delayed his education to help take care of his grandparents, and it was thanks to his family’s motivation that he went back to finish.
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Orange County teen stuck in freeway SWAT standoff nearly misses graduation ceremony
An Orange County teen almost missed her high school graduation ceremony in Anaheim for the most Southern California of reasons.
Traffic, and not just the standard morning drive gridlock. Arleth Ureno and family members, some visiting from as far away as Mexico, were stuck behind a freeway standoff that left traffic in the Anaheim Hills area at a standstill for hours.
Anticipation was high earlier on the morning of May 24 as they prepared to leave for the Katella High School ceremony. They left 90 minutes before the start, giving them what they thought would be enough time.
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Father's dying wish to walk daughter down the aisle made possible by hospital staff
Abraham Arceo has a wish not unlike many fathers: to walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day.
But his wish had to come true much sooner than expected, and thanks to the hospital staff at Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, it did Thursday afternoon.
Arceo has stage 4 pancreatic cancer and recently, his condition has gotten worse. With the help of Arceo’s family, the hospital staff pulled together resources to have his daughter’s wedding at the hospital’s chapel.
Arceo’s now son-in-law, Alan Tran, explained that he exchanged vows with his now-wife, Brittny Arceo, long before their wedding. That promise was to always take care of each other’s parents.
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OC woman inspires others to cherish time with grandparents through TikTok
Papá Lupe is everyone’s grandpa now – at least that’s what the thousands of comments pouring into Cristina García's TikTok videos are saying.
García, 32, and her 88-year-old grandfather, Guadalupe Covarrubias, have become pretty popular on TikTok. Not just for their entertaining videos, but because of the message it sends to the younger generations: spend as much time as you can with your grandparents.
“I’m truly lucky to have him, to be able to spend time with him,” García said. “You read the comments of people that are missing their grandpa and it makes me wanna cry.” The duo from Garden Grove post a variety of videos documenting some of their happiest moments together locally and in Mexico.
In one of her videos, García shows her grandpa a small brown cow that her mom had crocheted her. Papá Lupe can be seen laughing and commenting on how the cow does not look like much of a cow. “It looks more like a rat,” he said between laughter and “moo-ing” noises.
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