Palisades Cares, Pali High School on Wheels, Vittorios Give Back

By JACQUELINE PRIMO | Assistant Managing Editor

Ashley Miller, the founder of the Palisades High School on Wheels club at Palisades Charter High School, and several of the club’s members collected toys on Friday, Dec. 18 that had been donated for the Palisades Cares toy drive.

The students collected toys at Bentons Sports Shop, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Regal Cleaners, the Palisades-Malibu YMCA and CVS before delivering them to Vittorios restaurant.

Vittorios hosted a luncheon on Tuesday, Dec. 22 for homeless children from four shelters who are tutored by School on Wheels.

The organization’s mission is to enhance educational opportunities for homeless children from kindergarten through 12th grade.

“This is the fifth year that [Vittorios] has hosted a party for kids who live in homeless shelters and are tutored by School on Wheels,” said Marie Steckmest with Palisades Cares.

Vanessa Pelligrini, daughter of Vittorios owner Mercedes Pelligrini, and Miller have both tutored for School on Wheels, according to Steckmest.

Miller started tutoring for the organization after she and her sister delivered school supplies from the Palisades Cares fall school supplies drive.

Steckmest said hundreds of toys were collected in five carloads, as well as cash donations from the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce.

“Half of the toys went to the nonprofit One Voice, an organization in Santa Monica that works with Head Start families, and the other half went to the School on Wheels children,” Steckmest said.