INDIANAPOLIS — As parents get those last minute Christmas presents, they may not be able to check everything off of their list.
"A lot of our families are going through difficult times and we are here to give them a hand up rather than making them feel like they are getting a hand out," Jamie Inskeep, Director of Empowering Indy said.
That's why the local organization Empowering Indy turned a gym into a personal shopping experience. Three hundred and sixty five families and over 1,000 kids were able to pick out free presents, families like the Buyers who will now get to surprise their kids Christmas morning.
"They are really excited and Christmas day they are going to be more excited and we are all just so happy," Mariah Buyers said.
While these families will get brand new toys and gifts, the organization wanted to expand the holiday love through the rest of the year by providing outside resources every day. Like domestic violence, financial, and food insecurity help.
"The toys are the easy part, and we want to mee that immediate need," Inskeep said. "Most importantly, we don't want them to have to need it next year so we want to break that cycle and hopefully empower them so they can help themselves."
As this event grows, so does the need. Organizers said they've seen more families struggle to not only buy for the holidays, but also the basic needs.
"These families are going through things that many of us have never experienced but very well could and that's the takeaway, we are all more alike than we are different," Brandi Linn, Board of Directors said.
This year, the "Christmas Experience" was put on with the help of 13News viewers. Empowering Indy was a recent Send the Love recipient and viewers raised nearly $7,000.
