In celebration of the holidays and the South Los Angeles Community, Drew Child Development Corporation (Drew CDC) held its annual Winter Wonderland Community Resource and Toy Giveaway on Saturday, December 17, 2022. Notified via Drew CDC’s social media announcements and word of mouth, hundreds of children and their families lined up around the block in anticipation of the event before the doors even opened. Once inside, families were connected with numerous resources, including books from the Los Angeles Public Library, healthy baby foods for young families, opportunities for COVID-19 vaccinations, college prep information, and a bike raffle hosted by the California Highway Patrol. 

Of course, the day’s highlight for most children was the toy giveaway where board members and volunteers helped 1,080 kids get their pick of over $20,000 worth of donated toys. Expressions ranged from wide-eyed awe to sheepish delight as children learned that, yes, they get their choice of stuffed animal and whichever toy they want from the eight-table spread. Christopher Rhodes, a security staffer at the community, “heard so much excitement from the kids moving through the event,” and offered his appreciation for all Drew CDC does for the Watts-Willowbrook, Compton, and South Los Angeles community. 

With support from donors including the Tyler Perry Foundation, Elex Michaelson from Fox 11, Canon, Allstate Cleaning, GYL, The Wonderful Company, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), FedEx, SoCalGas Sempra, the California Highway Patrol, Robert Half, Black N LA, Schylling, Magico, Dickerson Insurance Services, Galaxy System Fire Protection Inc., Southern California Junior Cricket Academy, as well as individual donors , volunteers, and vendors, everyone was delighted to put the lockdown in the past and enjoy the camaraderie of holding the event in person once again.

A grandmother, picking up toys for her seven grandkids, expressed her deepest gratitude and noted how their family’s holiday wouldn’t be the same without Drew CDC’s support. For the larger families, the biggest challenge was often figuring out how to carry all the presents, in addition to the cotton candy, all the way back to the car. After the event, inspired community members came up to learn about how they could donate and volunteer for future events through Drew CDC’s website at drewcdc.org. 

In 2023, Drew CDC looks forward to continuing its work providing early childhood education, free and low-cost childcare, mental health services, and access to other resources for children in the underprivileged communities of Los Angeles. You can enroll a child in your life at one of their Early Childhood Education Centers year-round and find many additional resources online. Drew CDC’s next community event, Back 2 School, will be held on August 2023.