The holidays are a time for families to spend quality time with each other, eat delicious food, and take a break from the stresses of life. Unfortunately, these luxuries aren’t an option for many Angelinos who don’t have the financial capacity to buy presents for their children or take time off from their jobs.
LIFT-LA decided to help take the burden off of our Members’ plates by throwing a Holiday Fiesta – an event where 60 core Members were paired up with volunteer sponsors from the community with the hopes of brightening our members’ holiday seasons. The volunteers received a Member’s wish list, went shopping for the items, wrapped them with love, and donated the gifts to the member’s family.
This year’s Holiday Fiesta took place on December 13, 2015. It was a magical day filled with joy, smiles, and endless gratitude. Thanks to the generosity of our board members and volunteer sponsors, over 300 individuals were treated to an unforgettable day.
“I am beyond thankful to God and my sponsor for donating bunkbeds, clothes and shoes to my family,” said Georgina, a core Member and mother of five children, who was overwhelmed with the amount of joy that the event brought her. “I was worried about disappointing my kids, but thanks to the Holiday Fiesta I will be able to provide them with plenty of toys and clothes too.”
Thanks to the generosity of Hasbro Toys, LIFT-LA was also able to donate over 350 toys to Angelino children. New clothing was also provided by Dignity-U wear, The Black Tux, and Baby Buggy.
Free entertainment was provided by a kid folk dance duo named The Florklorico and all-you-can-eat tacos were served by Alvaro’s Tacos for all of our Members to enjoy.
As we look toward 2016, LIFT-LA can rest assured knowing that we helped brighten the holidays for our cherished Members, and we look forward to continuing our work to help break the cycle of poverty for families in the new year.