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🌱 Patch AM: Where can Houston families find free toy giveaways this weekend?

Happening soon: FREE WEBINAR | "A Renaissance Christmas - Remix" on the Houston Patch calendar

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Saturday December 20th Patch AM
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Good morning Houston! We're back in your inbox this morning to keep you in the loop with what's happening in and around town. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Where can Houston families find free toy giveaways this weekend?
  • How a second devastating SW Houston fire upended one resident’s life
  • See how a $5,000 surprise boosts Houston seniors and pets

Also on today's calendar: FREE WEBINAR | “A Renaissance Christmas - Remix” and 7 more events.

Find out what's happening in Houstonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: Last night I had a dream. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Houstonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Saturday: Sunshine and a few clouds, with a high of 80 and low of 67 degrees.
  • Sunday: Fog will lift in the morning, temps: high: 77, low: 64.
  • Monday: Cloudy with a shower in spots, with a high of 77 and low of 63 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Christmas toy giveaways happening in Greater Houston (fox26houston.com) — Families in Houston and nearby Waller County can find several free toy giveaways this weekend, including Houston Millennials’ Holiday Experience and a Waller County Community Center event, both on Dec. 20. Church Six33 hosts a toy drive after Sunday service, and Houston Fire Department’s Operation: Stocking Stuffer is helping more than 20,000 kids, with families asked to register through their City Council district offices.
   

2. ‘I'm still processing': Woman says SW Houston apartment fire is second fire she has endured (click2houston.com) — A massive fire at the Westmount at Braesridge apartments in southwest Houston has left residents like Laura Vanlandingham unsure whether they have lost everything. Vanlandingham, who has already survived a previous apartment fire, described terrifying flashbacks and uncertainty about her next steps, while the Red Cross is on-site helping displaced tenants with emergency resources.
   

3. CW39, Nexstar Foundation gifts $5,000 to IM HOUSTON for holidays (cw39.com) — A Houston-based nonprofit that runs Meals on Wheels and Animeals just received a surprise $5,000 donation from CW39’s parent company, Nexstar, to support its work helping local seniors and their pets through the holidays and beyond. The gift was presented on CW39’s H-TOWN LIVE, which regularly spotlights Houston events, community stories, and money-saving tips for area residents.
   

4. A Love Letter to Houston, With a Princeton Twist (princeton.edu) — Houston takes center stage in this lively guide from a Princeton alum, spotlighting everything from RodeoHouston’s massive spring spectacle to world-class art at MFAH and the Menil. You’ll also find tips on diverse dining, quirky public art, and how parks, bayous, NASA, and the Texas Medical Center shape the city’s identity and resilience.
   

5. No bail for you: Texas law allows judges to deny bail (click2houston.com) — Houston is at the center of Texas’ new Proposition 3 bail law, which now lets judges deny bond to certain violent crime suspects. Local advocate Andy Kahan of Crime Stoppers of Houston says years of work and painful local cases helped push the measure through, and the first known no-bond decision under the law followed a recent Houston-area killing.
   

📸 Around Houston

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Houston

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📣 Houston Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

    Saturday December 20
  • Tomball Farmers Market Weekly All local farmers market
    Greater Tomball Chamber of Commerce , 205 W. Main Street , Tomball
    9:00 am
  • TOMBALL ART MARKET
    Greater Tomball Chamber of Commerce , 403 Commerce Street , Tomball
    9:30 am
    • Sunday December 21
  • Gourd'gous Glass Pumpkin Patch
    Glassblowing Houston , 17442 FM 2920 Rd , Tomball
    • Monday December 22
  • Yoga Flow M, W, F (50+)
    West University Place Community Building and Senior Center , 6104 Auden Street , West University Place
    8:30 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Local Student Athletes Get Major Boost from JJ Watt Foundation —sally magnuson Read on Patch
  • FREE Mini Blizzard Treat Available At DQ Restaurants In Texas —Mary Coker Read on Patch
  • Fiesta Mart, LLC posted a job opening for Produce Clerk - 024 Houston-Fondren in Houston. Apply here.
  • Domino's Pizza, Inc. posted a job opening for Assistant Manager(06781) - 9451-A Cullen Blvd in Houston. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Houston here.

Ok Houston! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I dreamed I was swimming in a pool of orange soda, but it was just a Fanta-sea.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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