On December 15, the Karsh Center excitedly welcomed the youngest members of our community, children ages 0 – 10, and their families to pick out a gift at our 3rd Annual Holiday Toy Giveaway. Thanks to the support of donors who provided almost 1,000 toys, we were able to provide extra holiday joy and fun to almost 400 children at this special event!

The toy giveaway is a celebratory end-of-year event for participants in our Family Support Program. As part of the Family Support Program, our clients have access to direct services and a network to help their families with essentials, as well as both literal and metaphorical spaces to build community and learn together. 

Touchstones of the Family Support Program include our monthly diaper distribution, parenting and family zoom workshops, and an on-site children’s book distribution. We also host special events throughout the year such as the Mother’s Day celebration focused on maternal mental health, and Ready for Kindergarten! back to school event focused on educational preparedness. Finally, to wrap up the year, we welcome families for the Annual Toy Giveaway, which, by providing toys for the children in a household, aims to help the families we serve better enjoy the holidays and time together. This year’s event did not disappoint!

Registered clients were checked in, teamed up with a volunteer host, and invited into the toy giveaway space to pick out their toy. For children who were still in school, their parents came and selected a present for the holidays, while children who were able to attend themselves got to peruse amongst the tables and pick the toy that spoke to them. Mirabel Madrigal dolls, Jurassic Park dinosaurs, pediatrician or veterinarian Barbies, puzzles, soft books and rattles for infants, learning games, Lego kits, arts & crafts kits and so many more brand new toys were amongst the tables waiting for our guests. 

The 2022 Karsh Center Holiday Toy Giveaway was possible thanks to the Karsh Center’s amazing network of support. Generous donors, including many from Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Mattel, Jazwares, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles ensured that we had hundreds of great toys for our young guests to eagerly choose from. The endlessly-creative Brawerman East Elementary School Parents Association once again transformed our Leanse Ratner Family Food Pantry into a holiday wonderland reminiscent of Candyland! Our dedicated volunteers shared hours of their time getting ready for the event by sorting and inventorying toys to make sure we had enough for all age groups who would be attending, as well as helping run the toy giveaway itself. Thank you to everyone who made this year’s event a success!