Safe Passages held its 5th annual community Holiday Party and Toy Distribution on Sunday, December 17th, 2017 in the Havenscourt neighborhood. The party was a huge success – with delicious food, festive music by DJ Brumfield, and fun arts and crafts activities for all the children and their families. Activities included stations for making Marshmallow Snowmen, Reindeer Hats, Princess Tiaras, in addition to face-painting, cookie decorating, and taking a picture with Santa!
Over 700 families – approximately 2,100 children – received toys and books thanks to the contributions of Oakland residents, the Mayor of Oakland, and local merchants. Safe Passages would like to thank all who partnered with us in this endeavor: the City of Oakland Community Service Center, the Oakland Housing Authority, Coliseum College Preparatory School, Community United Elementary School, and the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation. A very special shout out goes to Al Lujan, the City of Oakland holiday elf who coordinates the toy donations and distributions every year for the whole city! We would also like to extend a big thank you to the over 60 volunteers who supported the event, including the Safe Passages AmeriCorps and VISTA Members, representatives from the Tzu Chi Foundation, and the many family members and community residents.
Learn more about the Holiday Party HERE!
