DETROIT – The Rhonda Walker Foundation turned the boys and girls club on Tireman Ave. in Detroit into a massive Christmas party on Saturday with food, gifts, and face painting, and even a visit from Santa Claus himself.
“It is so great,” Dr. Chad Audi, the CEO of the Detroit Rescue Mission said. “We see the kids and the families at their lowest, and today we see them happy. You can see it in their eyes.”
It was the 23rd annual RWF Cares Christmas party, and it was clear from the smiles on the faces of the kids and their parents that it brought them plenty of joy.
What made it especially unique is that all of the children and their families are homeless and currently staying in shelters.
“Everybody should be entitled to the same love and respect across the board, regardless of status and poverty,” Dr. Stacie Hunter, a member of the foundation’s board, said. “The parents get to relax a little bit, and the kids get gifts that they normally wouldn’t have gotten. So, they have their same Christmas, right?”
“It’s really a blessing and really a pleasure to be here,” LaTonia Plair, whose son Darrius got a new pair of shoes, said. “It’s my first year coming, and I’m really excited about this.
“This is really wonderful thing that Rhonda Walker does every year for these children and their families, and I really appreciate it,” she added.
The families are living at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries’ Genesis House II shelter.
A group of 100 secret Santas provided gifts for the kids in the shelter, including clothes, toys, bikes, as well as shoes and socks.
Along with the secret Santas, gifts were also provided by area businesses and entrepreneurs.
Jacqueline Searcy began making socks as a hobby, and it eventually grew into her own business, Vote Bendiga – which translates to “God Bless You” in Dominican Spanish.
She felt compelled by the spirit of her grandmother to donate as many socks as she could.
“I once heard that toiletries, such as panties, underwear and socks, are mostly under received by homeless shelters and people in need,” Searcy, 26, said. “I wanted to make sure that I was a part of that impact.”