On December 20, 2025, Service Access and Equity (SAE) grantee PRAGNYA hosted its annual “Holiday of Happiness” event in Santa Clara.
This event was a welcoming space for families and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to celebrate the holidays. Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus joined in and hand-delivered over 100 gift bags to guests!
Santa and Mrs. Claus were accompanied by their FRNDS (First Responders for Neurodiversity Support) at Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD). PRAGNYA has collaborated with the SCPD for the last four years to promote supportive relationships between first responders and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Department’s SAE team and other community partners also joined in for this day of music, crafts, and inclusion.
“This year we served nearly 200 individuals at our Holiday of Happiness Brunch where we all sat together, ate together, and as you saw spent a cold winter morning in the warmth of togetherness, belonging and community,” said Kavita Sreedhar, project manager and co-founder of PRAGNYA.
Thanks to community donations, PRAGNYA prepared a total of 775 personalized gift bags. The gift bags that weren’t handed out during the event were distributed to supported living services staff, housing coordinators, and home administrators to share with individuals they support.
Events like this show how thoughtful, inclusive programs create spaces where everyone feels supported and valued.
Find out more about the Department’s SAE Grant Program and other grantees around the State.