LOS ANGELES — The day of the YMCA's Holiday Spectacular was one Veda Ramsay-Stamps had been preparing for, for months. The YMCA's Executive Director could not wait to bring holiday cheer to a community she watched struggle all year.

“Since February, we’ve provided over 150,000 meals to the community of Crenshaw," Ramsay-Stamps said. "We’ve also provided diapers and all kinds of other essential needs for the community. So we knew there was going be a great need.”

What You Need To Know

  • The YMCA's Executive Director, Veda Ramsay-Stamps, prepared for their Holiday Spectacular event

  • The line of cars stretched for miles at the December 12 event, with parents waiting all day for the chance to pick up toys for their children

  • Ramsay-Stamps teamed with more than 15 community organizations to throw the event, including It's Bigger Than Us, Noah's Foundation, and several others that focus on helping minorities

  • The event was able to give away 10,000 toys to the Crenshaw community

The line of cars stretched for miles at the December 12 event, with parents waiting all day for the chance to pick up toys for their children.

Ramsay-Stamps said it’s an indication of the unprecedented times. She took over just before COVID hit and saw an already apparent crisis deepened by lay offs and distance learning.

“We’ve had people cry, I mean balling in tears, over the fact that they don’t have enough money to cover the costs of diapers and formula, so we’ve done a lot to try to offset that load, particularly for our single moms who are also essential workers," she explained.

While they spent most of 2020 tending to the emergency needs, Ramsay-Stamps's goal for 2021 is to address more transformative issues. She plans to start with a new education program for children who don’t have parents to help them learn from home.

“They’re struggling, it’s hard to do, even for the best of us who have the tools," she said. "It’s hard for the parents to do it under circumstances like struggling to pay their bills."

Those who can’t pay their bills can’t afford anything extra, but Ramsay-Stamps said the YMCA knows how important Christmas presents are for all kids, let alone those who have already had to sacrifice so much.

She teamed with more than 15 community organizations to throw the event, including It's Bigger Than Us, Noah's Foundation, and several others that focus on helping minorities. They were able to give away 10,000 toys to the Crenshaw community.

It’s a day Joshua Jackson has been waiting for.

"It's going be fun," he said.

The 9-year-old goes back and forth between his house and his Aunt Shunnette’s. She’s taking him and his sister Viviana to the Crenshaw YMCA for an early Christmas.

Joshua said this year, he’s only asking Santa for a basketball hoop to play his favorite sport, but if he could chose anything? “I want a bike and a PlayStation 5," he said.

His Aunt Shunnette said they rely on the YMCA's sports programs to keep Joshua active. On this day, she’s grateful for Ramsay-Stamps’s heart to help the children maintain a sense of normalcy and tradition, down to things as simple as toys and a celebration.

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"Welcome to the Holiday Spectacular!” the team at the Y exclaimed. Ramsay-Stamps says she just wants to give the Crenshaw kids and their parents a bit of hope after a long year.

“There are a lot of struggling people struggling, but [the community] also has a lot of beauty and a lot of things to offer the city of Los Angeles," she said.

Bringing Christmas to Crenshaw early in a massive effort to end 2020 on a positive note.