For this Christmas holiday, YSP/SFP Bay Area joined B.A.S.I.C. Ministry’s toy giveaway by hosting a toy drive in the volunteers’ local community, collecting over 60 toys and $300+ in donations to buy toys for kids.
Then on December 17th the volunteers gathered at B.A.S.I.C. Ministry to pack toys and equipment into a big truck to bring to Elmhurst Park in Oakland to set up for the main event at 6pm. As they were setting up, community members started to gather and kids were running around the park. The whole event was more than just distributing toys, it was a community festival! There was entertainment from singing to dancing and praising God, along with food and a bouncy jumper for the kids. The atmosphere was filled with lots of joyful sounds of the community coming together, and the kids waited patiently for the moment when they could receive their gifts.
After lots of anticipation, the ‘gates’ opened for the kids to receive their gifts. There were over 300 gift bags with two toys in each bag for the children. The kids came in small, excited groups and left with big smiles on their faces. The youth volunteers handed each gift with lots of love and smiles, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. To see the joy and the many smiles of families as they were handed gifts was a wonderful and heartwarming experience for the volunteers.
“I would do it again in a heartbeat!” said a UC Berkley student.