’Tis the season of giving. And -- like many of you -- the WXYZ and WMYD staff are excited to help brighten the holidays for those in need.
Our goal is to help provide a Christmas for those who otherwise would go without.
The Giving Tree in the Channel 7 and TV 20 breakroom has become an annual tradition.
On December 7, our team loaded up all the bags and boxes of toys, carted them through the halls, packed them in a caravan of vehicles, and headed to our destination –The Children’s Centerin Detroit.
We dropped off our donations in the sorting room – busy with bright-eyed volunteers – including some parents whose families qualify for holiday help.
Vonna McMickel is a parent-volunteer who’s very grateful for the support. She is the mother of 8 children -- 3 of her own and 5 foster children.
“I wouldn’t want no kid to wake up in the morning on Christmas morning and not have nothing to open. To me, it’s just the best gift in the world,” said McMickel.
More than 500 pre-qualified families will get to shop – free of charge – at The Holiday Shop at The Children’s Center.
Each of the 1500 children will received a toy, stocking stuffer, winter hats, gloves, socks, and underwear.
Each family will also receive a super soft blanket and a $25 Kroger gift card to go toward their holiday meal.
When they “check out” after their shopping experience, the parents then stop by the gift wrapping station where volunteers wrap all of the gifts to put under the tree.
The generosity of local schools, churches, and businesses has been tremendous, but leaders at The Children's Center said the need for more donations is still great.
“Sometimes our teens are the toughest to shop for. So, we’re looking for teenage gifts for boys and girls especially, and socks and underwear for older youth,” explained Holly Gorecki, Director of Volunteer and Community Engagement at The Children’s Center.
Donations can be dropped off at The Children’s Center through December 15, 2017.
The center is located at 79 W. Alexandrine Street between Cass and Woodward Avenues in Detroit.
If you’d like more information, please call (313)831-5535.
