With Christmas just a week away, holiday giveaway events, including Christmas giveaways, hosted by elected officials, faith leaders, and community-based organizations are ramping up across the region. Beginning this weekend, many events will distribute free toys, clothing, and grocery bags of food. In addition, a Black rabbi is feeding children and delivering holiday gifts to families on Chicago’s South and West Sides.
Reached in Washington, D.C., Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-7th) said he is preparing for a series of holiday events scheduled for Saturday, December 20, and Monday, December 22.
The congressman’s first event will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, December 20, Davis will distribute clothing, hats, scarves, turkeys, hams, and other food to families of children whose fathers are incarcerated.
Later that day, Davis will host additional holiday activities at his congressional office, located at 2813–15 West Fifth Avenue. From 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., the congressman will hold a toy giveaway for children of incarcerated fathers, including gifts personally requested by the children.
“The children (of incarcerated fathers) give us their Christmas wish list, and our Santa shoppers buy their gifts from that list,” said Davis’ district director, Cherita Logan. Davis will also distribute hams, coats, and clothing during the event.
A holiday party for Chicago Housing Authority residents will follow at the same location, beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday.
The final event in Davis’ holiday schedule will take place on Monday, December 22, when his annual Christmas senior citizens luncheon is held from noon to 3 p.m. at Malcolm X College, 1900 West Jackson Boulevard.
“We are trying to give people some Christmas inspiration, those who are lonesome and need cheering up,” Logan said.
“The message for this Christmas is together we can make it. You don’t have to be alone. You can come and spend some time with us. No matter what we go through, our faith, our hope, and our unity will carry us through,” she added.
Logan concluded, “During this season, let’s hold each other up because we are our brother’s keeper.”
The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is hosting a pre-Christmas giveaway this Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. with breakfast, followed by the distribution of 300 bags of groceries that include a frozen chicken, free health screenings and vaccines, and assistance with property tax issues.
Dr. Michael Eric Dyson will be the keynote speaker, and Rev. Stephen Thurston II will be the special speaker.
Rabbi Tamar Manasseh, an African American rabbi who is the president and founder of Mothers/Men Against Senseless Killings (MASK), will deliver presents to children’s homes on Christmas Day.
In the interim, Rabbi Manasseh—who made history last week by becoming the first woman seated on the International Israelite Board of Rabbis—has been serving hot meals to children every day since last November. Taking a page from the Black Panthers, she said, “We are attacking the problem of violence like the Black Panthers did by feeding kids. We believe the hot meals stop bullets.
“It stops the desperation that young people and children feel when they are hungry, when they have to go out and fend for themselves.”
She has hot meals ready when children leave school at her center, located at 7500 South Stewart Avenue.
“On Saturdays, we do only kids’ pantries where the children come to our food pantry and get food that will last them two weeks during their Christmas break. We want to make sure they have food,” she stated.
“One of the biggest causes of gun violence is food insecurity. People overlook the hunger aspect of violence. We work on this every day.”
On the morning of December 25, the rabbi will lead a large Christmas caravan of cars filled with toys.
“We drive around the low-income housing developments on the South and West Sides, knock on their doors, and hand the toys to the kids. We have over 3,000 toys. Last year, we had 65 cars,” she said.