Join the VIP Holiday Gift Drive!

dancingtree The winter holiday season is a time of happiness and joy for most children. It is a time to believe in magic and wonder, to have faith in things you cannot see, and to have hope that wishes do come true.

But for children who have been abused, neglected, abandoned or placed in protective custody there is little to be happy about. They have had the magic and wonder ripped from their lives, and they lose their hope and faith in everyone and everything. The holidays are just another source of uncertainty and disappointment.

You can give them back all that they have lost.

The VIP Holiday Drive is about more than just giving a child a new toy. It is about giving a child a chance to believe in magic and generosity again. It is about supporting a mother as she tries to rebuild her family. It is about giving children and adults who have been hurt in the worst possible ways a little faith in humanity again.

Each year VIP asks all of our friends to join in this effort. Last year, thanks to you we collected enough new gifts and toys for over 700 children. This year our services have expanded and so have the number of children we serve. So we need your help again.

Here is what is on our Wish List this year:

New, unwrapped, nonviolent toys, games, books, arts & crafts kits, jackets, scarves, gloves, hats, sweatshirts, toiletries and sports equipment under $20
Gift wrapping supplies
Gift cards to Target, gas stations, Ralphs/Food4Less, and Smart & Final in $20 denominations that we can use to help families in need
The financial resources to keep all of our programs serving the most children possible all year long

Please visit our Wish List at Walmart to buy gifts and have them shipped to us. Organize a drive with friends, family, co-workers, etc. to collect new, unwrapped gifts. Talk to any companies you know that may be willing to donate their products to our efforts and become a VIP sponsor. Or donate online to make a financial contribution before the end of the year.

All donated items are distributed to the children and their siblings who receive services at VIP. We invite mothers and other caregivers who cannot afford gifts to pick out presents, wrap them up, and give them to their children as a gift from them.

Donations should be delivered to the Violence Intervention Program, 1721 Griffin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90031 (Monday-Friday 8 am to 5 pm). For more information, please contact Erica Blodgett at (323) 221-4134, ext 219. All donations will be acknowledged with a letter and proof of non-profit status for tax purposes.