INGLEWOOD, Calif. — When it comes to holiday gift giving, Inglewood resident Phyllis Strong already knows what she wants to give her two granddaughters.
“Just maybe a doll so they can comb their hair,” she said. “You know, they like the baby dolls and they like to put diapers on dolls.”
But like many, Strong feels the impact of a tough economy with rising prices and tight finances this holiday shopping season. She works in retail and stretches every dollar as she and her husband are also raising their grandkids full-time who are 6 and 8.
So she got up early on a Saturday morning, waiting two hours for a toy giveaway at the Inglewood Southside Christian Church.
“My money is pretty short because I work a job that only gives me two days a week sometimes, so I thought I would just come out and try to get the kids a little something extra,” she said. “I do have a husband but he’s disabled too, because he’s a diabetic. His money pays the rent.”
Toys were one part of the giveaway that also included a box of food and supplies such as diapers and baby wipes from two nonprofits: Westside Infant-Family Network Los Angeles and God Saves World Mission.
Inglewood Southside Christian Church Pastor Herbert Botts said he sees a greater need this holiday season as they handed out everything in less than two hours to at least 150 families.
“Really, what I see is a lot of people are here just for the diapers and some for the toys. They don’t want the food. They are here for the diapers. That’s a rise in price issue as well,” Botts said.
Rising consumer prices are affecting holiday shopping as well. According to an annual survey by Deloitte Consulting, people across the nation plan to buy an average of nine gifts this year compared with 16 last year with a total anticipated spending per household at $1,455, down from $1,463 last year.
Wayman Knowles with WIN Los Angeles, which already hands out essential supplies to needy families throughout Los Angeles on a regular basis, said there’s an increasingly larger turnout of people who need help.
“Inflation is high, family needs are high, COVID is just now really subsiding, but then it’s leveling up and families are still really getting adjusted,” he said. “So we just really want to be an alleviator of some of that stress.”
Strong said she’s happy to pick up whatever is available for grandkids as she sorts through items on a table at the giveaway. She also receives a pack of baby wipes, diapers and a bag full of supplies and family items.
“A little beanie for the head! We’ll be okay,” she said.