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Hundreds receive Christmas gifts as community organizations work to help those in need in North Philly

By Cheyenne Corin
Published  December 20, 2023 11:11pm EST
Holidays
FOX 29 Philadelphia

Hundreds receive gifts as organizations work to help those in need

Making the holiday season one to remember, hundreds of families in North Philadelphia are receiving early Christmas gifts.

NORTH PHILADELPHIA - Making the holiday season one to remember, hundreds of families in North Philadelphia are receiving early Christmas gifts.

ODAAT has been a hope on the holidays for more than 20 years and, teaming with NOMO, the two organizations, along with partners, started shopping at Target, buying $60,000 worth of toys, formula, cooking appliances and more, blessing hundreds of families who lined an entire building in North Philly.

"He just walked up and gave me $200 worth of gift cards," Poetica Vey said. "I feel amazing. It’s going to be a great Christmas for me and my children."

"Oh gosh, a lot of people out there. It’s like thousands of people. Thousands of babies and people come from shelters," Pass Koran said.

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"Inflation is going up, everybody needs help. It don’t have anything to do with being rich or being poor. Everybody needs help," Community Outreach Coordinator, Tasha Wells, said.

People like parent Kierah Brown. "I was just excited and I told my kids and they said, ‘Yay, Mommy, Mommy!’"

She won a special raffle. As a single mom struggling to support her two children, she went home with a new television, toys and $500.

"People are grateful to actually give back," Brown said. "I wanted to give back, but I can’t, at the moment, but when I get up there, I will give back to my community."

ODAAT and NOMO don’t just spread hope on the holidays, but provide year-round services, such as mentoring young people out of the streets and helping those dealing with addiction.

"This is a time when we’re going to do for one another and for people out there. If you are doing okay, share the love with somebody else," Senator Sharif Street said.