DC nonprofit provides gifts to children in ‘grand families'

A D.C. nonprofit is approaching its goal of providing holiday gifts to 81 children being raised by their grandparents.

The Plaza West apartment building in Mount Vernon Triangle offers affordable housing to “grand families.” All but three of the apartments have a single grandmother raising a minor child, according to the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District.

“We want the children to know that your community really cares about you, and we believe through this toy drive that we’ve done just that,” Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District President and CEO Kenyattah Robinson said.

He said his foundation is well on the way to helping the grand families at Plaza West have a happy holiday.

“The children actually told our staff what gifts they wanted,” Robinson said. “So, the gifts that you see on the Amazon wish list are the gifts that have been picked out by the children.”

Plaza West is unique.

“For grandparents who are raising their grandchildren because the parents are otherwise not involved, it’s the first of its type in Washington, D.C., and one of only maybe 10 in the country,” Robinson said.

“Some of those grandparents, they have more than one child that they’re raising,” he said. “A large number of these grandparents are over the age of 65. The average income is $23,000 a year.” 

The community has really stepped up, but there’s a public push to get everything on that Amazon wish list for all 81 grandchildren at Plaza West.

This is the fifth year they’ve done the gift giveaway, Robinson said.

“It’s our goal to expand this, to raise more funds in the future to support more deserving children in not only our Mount Vernon Triangle community, but the surrounding community so that more children have access to holiday gifts,” he said. 

The children will get their gifts during a holiday party Thursday evening.

Learn more about the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Foundation here.