Toy Drive 2020: Thousands Of Toys And Holiday Cheer For The Families Here And In Armenia

Our annual Toy Drive was another huge success while only “half way through” the program. Given the massive number of families displaced because of the War in Artsakh, we extended the program to provide a holiday cheer to the youngest ones of our families. According to Fr. Vazken Movsesian, “Christmas, more than any other holiday, is a time for children to believe in love and the wonder that comes with it. It's a time for them to hope of better days to come. These kids, with no fault of their own, are suffering the consequences of a dysfunctional world. Our toy drive is intended to bring a smile and reinstate hope in this young lives.”

Kids are always the innocent by-standers of tragedies caused by and in the adult world. For years, the In His Shoes ministry has reached out to the innocent by organizing toy drives to benefit children affected by domestic violence. The tragic circumstances involved in abusive relationship will manifest themselves in acts of domestic violence, separating families due to incarceration or even death. Often, children are overlooked in the list of casualties. With no fault of their own, they have to deal with the reality caused by acts of domestic violence. The Toy Drive is named after Yvette Hakopian, a young lady who lost her life because of domestic violence.

At the St. Leon Armenian Cathedral, Archbishop Hovnan offered a special blessing to Sako and Rpsik Hakopian, parents of Yvette Hakopian, and consoled them by pointing to the continuity of life through their generous actions of sacrifice and love.
 
Volunteers then quickly packed and delivered the hundreds of donated toys to Burbank Family Services, our local partner for immediate assistance to families in need.

We take this opportunity to thank all those who participated in the Toy Drive and especially our good friends at Stock California Toy Store for their donations and help in facilitating the local toy drive efforts.

Now we enter into phase 2 of our drive which includes thousands of toys and treats to displaced and hurting children in Armenia and Artsakh. We will report about these gifts following the new year.