Chicago anti-violence nonprofit surprises kids with gifts on Christmas Day
For the ninth year in a row, a Chicago nonprofit lined up a caravan of cars and toys to make surprise stops around the city, mainly on the South Side.
Mothers and Men Against Senseless Killings, also known as MASK is behind the annual Christmas tradition; they know that sometimes the biggest Christmas surprises aren't under the tree, but loaded into the back of a volunteer's truck and hand-delivered to the people least expecting them.
"I see a lot of people that was just coming towards that way and they said Santa was bringing presents and I'm like oh OK that's what's up," said recipient Diamond Humphries. "I just didn't think that they were fixing to bring the presents over here, so I feel like it's a true blessing. It's a true blessing."
Organizers said this year they have 35 cars full of people, more than 3,000 gifts and made seven stops each. One of them was a complete surprise to the neighbors who live in the area.
"We do this every year," said Rabbi Tamar Manasseh, executive director of MASK. "We get more cars, we get more people. We just get tons more engagement."
Organizers said this event started with just four cars in 2016 and has grown over the years.
"We thought his year we weren't actually going to do this, because of the economic situation with the government shutdown and the furloughs, and people not having money, and for a portion of November not having any food," Rabbi Manasseh said.
She said some of their partners pulled together and refused to let the tradition go.