Actress Alyssa Milano and other celebrities and elected officials joined hundreds of volunteers on Sunday to prepare up to 250,000 meatballs at a San Fernando Valley service event aimed at feeding people experiencing homelessness.
The event, dubbed “Meatball Madness,” was held in North Hills as part of the Valley Day of Service organized by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, D-Encino.
Organizers said more than 700 volunteers and dozens of community groups took part, with the meatballs to be served at shelters.
“Every single meatball will either be used for a meal served to all 3,000 current residents of Hope the Mission and Los Angeles Mission, or frozen and used later,” organizers said in a statement.
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Volunteers and staff assemble for the “Meatball Madness” event in North Hills as part of the Valley Day of Service on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
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Volunteers and staff assemble for the “Meatball Madness” event in North Hills as part of the Valley Day of Service on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (Photo by Miguel Vasconcellos, Contributing Photographer)
Celebrities scheduled to attend throughout the day included reality television personality Hazel-E of “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood,” actors Jenna Hall of “Roseanne,” Bryan Dattilo and Patrika Darbo of “Days of Our Lives,” Shaka Smith of “Pair of Kings” and Selah Victor of “Modern Family.”
Hope United — a joint effort of the Los Angeles Mission and Hope the Mission — helped organize the event, which featured music, giveaways and multiple volunteer shifts.
Hope the Mission, which operates dozens of facilities across the region, said it serves more than 2 million meals annually. Officials said the event is intended to support ongoing efforts to address homelessness and food insecurity across Los Angeles County.
