The spirit of giving was in the air at United American Indian Involvement (UAII) headquarters on Temple Street this Tuesday, Dec. 21, when the annual Winter Wonderland Holiday Party included fun for the whole family. A tradition of UAII, the holiday party is a community-builder to brighten the season for all generations. This year’s event was amplified by a generous donation from The Midnight Mission, providing 200 toys for our Native youth and children.
Donations of this size make a dramatic impact on UAII families in Greater LA. “These toys will make the holidays a lot brighter for our families; it was good to see all those smiling faces,” said Vice President of Development, Joseph Quintana. “We are sincerely grateful to the staff, volunteers, and supporters of the Midnight Mission, who made this donation possible for our Native families.”
Winter activities included real snow, traditional dance and observations, raffles, music, food, and even Santa was there to greet little ones. Our staff worked hard to ensure the event was safe for everyone, modifying plans to allow drive-through attendance, due to the rise in COVID cases in LA. Representatives from the LA County Department of Children and Family Services were in attendance as well.
During what has been a historically challenging year for all Angelinos, UAII has been a leader in COVID prevention and vaccinations, emergency basic services, and workforce development, in addition to medical care and mental healthcare for Native families. UAII’s collaboration with the Midnight Mission is one of our many partnerships with fellow service organizations, making a greater reach possible in the Native community.
UAII sends a holiday thanks to our partners at the Midnight Mission for making this event so special. Children at the Holiday Party enjoyed throwing snowballs, sledding on real snow, and delicious, fresh-made traditional foods, before taking home brightly-wrapped gift packages, stockings, and scarves for each family. “It’s all about the kids,” Quintana said. “Partnership makes everything possible.”
United American Indian Involvement, Inc. is the largest provider of health and human services for AI/AN people living in the County of Los Angeles. Established in 1974 on the streets of Skid Row, UAII has grown to a multidisciplinary, comprehensive service center addressing the holistic needs of the AI/AN community, county-wide and beyond. Culturally sensitive services and staff have created a positive impact on AI/AN community health, overcoming historical trauma to build physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. For information on supporting UAII, contact Vice President of Development Joseph Quintana at jquintana@uaii.org or (213) 202-3970. Find out more at UAII.org.
The Midnight Mission has been offering a path to self-sufficiency to people experiencing homelessness since 1914. As a comprehensive homeless shelter and service provider helping the Los Angeles homeless community, they take an approach that fuses care and compassion with accountability, providing the structure and resources that people experiencing homelessness need to make changes that last. For information on Midnight Mission events & volunteer opportunities like this one, contact Andrew Linares at alinares@midnightmission.org or (213) 624-9258, ext. 1249. Find out more at MidnightMission.org.
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