‘Now that looks fun, doesn’t it?’ Thousands of D.C. children get glad tidings — and gifts.
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Version 0 of 1. Khimani Williams wavered: the electric car or the game of Monopoly? Just behind the 7-year-old, Khimani’s grandmother Dorothea Bilbo shifted her weight, one foot to the other, and tightened her grip on the hand of Khimani’s little sister. Thwarting Khimyah Williams’s attempts to pull away, Bilbo, 61, leaned in and pointed to the car: “Now that looks fun, doesn’t it?” A moment more, and Khimani decided he agreed. He stuffed the toy into a white bag already bulging with a miniature basketball hoop, both tokens from the D.C. Housing Authority’s 16th Gift of Love event, an annual holiday giveaway for families who receive federal housing assistance. At that, Khimyah, 4, could wait no longer. “Baby doooooolls!” she squealed, breaking free of her grandmother to sprint toward the other side of the room — and a table heaped with Barbies. The Williams siblings were among roughly 5,000 D.C. children who filed through a Southeast Washington community center Saturday to pick up two toys each, a book and a winter coat, all courtesy of the Housing Authority and a handful of partner nonprofit organizations. After selecting from a buffet of presents on tables arranged across a basketball court, the kids — toddlers and teenagers alike — posed for pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus, seated in twin leather chairs on a makeshift dais. “We care deeply about our families, and we know it can be hard for them to make ends meet,” D.C. Housing Authority spokesman Jose Sousa said as he took a break from guiding parents and children around the court. “Anything we can do to make the holidays happier for these families, we will.” Happier, sure. Hectic, too. Scores of mothers, fathers, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles — many clad in Santa hats, ornament earrings and Christmas sweaters — crowded into the gym alongside children. By midmorning, the line of people waiting for presents stretched far outside the community center, wrapping around two corners of the block. As parents counseled patience outdoors, children took charge inside. Toddlers marched their parents to tables labeled “DOLLS” and “INFANTS & Stuffed Animals,” while older kids made a beeline for “EDUCATION & ELECTRONICS.” In one corner, a red-shirted DJ blared soft pop. The bustling scene would have been unimaginable to Housing Authority employees just a half-decade ago, said Cheryl Robinson, the agency’s director of customer engagement. Gift of Love traces its origins to the early 2000s, she said, when a few dozen Housing Authority staffers first pooled their resources to buy Christmas presents for families they had met through work. Over the years, the gift-giving became a holiday tradition — limited to a few dozen households until about five years ago, when the Housing Authority began working with nonprofit groups to provide presents. The outside help boosted the number of gifts into the thousands. This year and last, the Housing Authority partnered most closely with A Wider Circle, a Silver Spring, Md., nonprofit that assists families living in poverty. Wider Circle staffers started soliciting donations in September, said Mark Bergel, founder and president. They wound up collecting more than 10,000 presents from local residents, businesses and community groups. “These people deserve all of our love,” said Bergel, glancing around the gym. “Mind you, I don’t like to see people lined up on the sidewalk for anything — but I do like seeing how many people show up to volunteer.” Khimani, though, was getting frustrated with the volunteer helping his sister try on coats. He had already waited several minutes as Khimyah picked out a doll. At times turning to her brother for advice, she ultimately dismissed Ariel for a Play ’n’ Wash Pets Barbie, complete with miniature kitten, puppy, bunny and bucket tub. Now Khimyah was dithering between a dark-blue and a hot-pink winter jacket. Despite an energetic search, the volunteer struggled to find the latter coat in the girl’s size. Khimani sighed. He shuffled his feet. He peered around the room — and spotted a game of Monopoly bigger and shinier than the first one. The switch took seconds, the car left abandoned on the floor. Monopoly, the boy explained, is his favorite game. When he plays Monopoly, Khimani always has money. He always has nice places to live. |