‘Terminator’ star reveals his annual visit goes back to his early days as immigrant in America
Schwarzenegger gives speech about importance of giving at charity event
Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke at the Hollenbeck Youth Center in Los Angeles, where he has participated in a charity toy drive serving the community for over 30 years.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is happy to give back during the holiday season.
In a video posted on his TikTok, Schwarzenegger shared his annual tradition of handing out Christmas gifts at the Hollenbeck Youth Center in Boyle Heights, a neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Schwarzenegger wrote in the caption, "There is a reason I have been handing out presents at the @hollenbeckyouthcenter in Boyle Heights for over 30 years. When I first came to America, my friends at Gold’s Gym were so generous. They brought me in during Christmas time and made me feel so happy and included."
He concluded, "I love being able to give back and see the smiles on the kids’ faces when they get their gifts. Merry Christmas!"
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Arnold Schwarzenegger shared on social media that he visits the Hollenbeck Youth Center to deliver gifts every year, inspired by his warm Christmas welcome when he first arrived in America. (Hollenbeck Youth Center)
The video showed the "Terminator" star handing out gifts and speaking with people at the facility as well as posing for photographs.
Schwarzenegger explained his first Christmas experience in the video, saying, "They gave me Christmas gifts, they had this beautiful Christmas tree, and I felt so included here in America even though I was a foreigner; I just came to this country."
"I will never forget that sweetness and kindness and inclusion, so I wanted to do the same thing when I had the money," he said, adding, "It makes me feel good that I can share the kindness and inspire other people to do the same thing."
Fox News Digital spoke with Priscilla Hernandez, president of the Hollenbeck Youth Center, who said Schwarzenegger "has consistently been involved with our organization and giving back to the community for well over three decades with Danny Hernandez, who runs the organization, founded the organization and founded Miracle on 1st Street."
Miracle on 1st Street is one of Los Angeles' longest-running and largest toy giveaways for inner-city kids, providing nearly 10,000 toys for children and families, according to a press release from the center.
"Arnold, just every year, he rolls up his sleeves, he ensures that … under the umbrella of Miracle on 1st Street that we have the resources in regards to the gifts to give out to the kids. He's one of the major contributors to it," Hernandez said.
"It simply wouldn't be the same without him. And he has never missed a year," she added.
Schwarzenegger became involved with the Hollenbeck Youth Center when he was approached by its founder, Danny Hernandez, to be the executive commissioner of the Inner City Games in 1991, and the relationship has continued ever since.
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Schwarzenegger with Hollenbeck Youth Center founder Danny Hernandez (Hollenbeck Youth Center)
In video provided by the Hollenbeck Youth Center, Schwarzenegger expressed why he's been dedicated to giving and working with the community.
"For all these years and decades, and I have such a great time coming out here and seeing all of you, seeing the happy faces, because that’s exactly the happy face I had 55 years ago when I came to this country, and I was given a stranger’s gifts for Christmas," he said.
"The greatest feeling is not to get but to give. And so I always encourage people, this is the time to give and to give because there’s so many people in America that have fallen through the cracks or that have not gotten that lift yet and that really great start that need help, and so we are all responsible to help them."
Last month, Schwarzenegger also shared a video of handing out turkeys for Thanksgiving at the Hollenbeck Youth Center.
Schwarzengger has participated in the toy giveaway for over 30 years, and he also participates in a turkey giveaway during Thanksgiving. (Hollenbeck Youth Center)
"A three-decade tradition. Giving out turkeys at the Hollenbeck Center in East LA! How do you give back this time of year?" he wrote in the caption.
Earlier this year, Schwarzenegger also got involved in his neighborhood in Brentwood when he filled a pothole that he said was "screwing up cars and bicycles for weeks."
Schwarzenegger filled a pothole in his neighborhood after it was wreaking havoc with bicyclists and drivers for weeks. (Arnold Schwarzenegger Twitter)
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After some back-and-forth between the city and SoCalGas, Schwarzenegger’s efforts remained intact.
Not long after the drama died down, he told Fox News Digital, "I was very happy that I could help the city to fix some of those dangerous potholes."
"And I was very happy that the city was appreciative, and they came out to inspect my work and agreed that it was great work."
He added, "It's all kind of, like, let's help each other. It was a fun thing to do. I love doing things like that. It took me back to the '70s when I was doing construction work, and I was on top of my bodybuilding career and still didn't make any money. I was a bricklayer and cement worker. So, it took me back to those days."
