2018 brought another year of gift-giving joy for KFA and friends. With an early start before Thanksgiving, Black Friday sales were perused and holiday shopping was intensified. The sixth year KFA has participated in this gift drive brought one overflowing bag to each of 41 kids in the emergency shelter. The bags were delivered to the Zahn Memorial Center in Downtown Los Angeles in late December, just in time for Christmas and Hanukkah. This is four times as many children as were served in KFA’s first year working with the Center.

KFA loves Los Angeles and supports community groups, charitable organizations, and housing developers that provide safe, healthy homes and services for at-risk individuals and families. The Zahn Center is the only emergency shelter for families in Downtown LA that provides 90 days of emergency housing to 18 chronically homeless families with special needs. The Zahn Center is a special place because of its emphasis on housing families together rather than splitting them up as is common in other shelters.

Every year, the Zahn Center hosts a holiday party with food, music, cheer, and haircuts for the kids. The gifts collected by KFA and friends included shoes and socks, a coat or sweater, two outfits, and 2 toys. To complete the celebration, Target gift cards were given to each of the families.

This year almost 25 KFA’ers brought in gifts or donated to the cause. “It is overwhelming to collect all the gifts and pile them up for each child. This year, I needed to take two separate carloads to the shelter. The care and love that each gift is wrapped with shows how much each person cares about giving these kids a holiday season. It was an amazing effort by all!” said KFA Senior Associate Tarrah Beebe. The smiles at KFA are just as wide knowing they brightened the holiday season for these children.