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More than 170 families in south Kansas City received free Christmas gifts and holiday meals through the Community Assistance Council's annual Christmas shop.
It's a place where everything from toys to beauty products comes at no cost to struggling families.
The event, organized by the South Kansas City Community Assistance Council, allowed parents like Abby to shop for items they needed for their children and themselves.
"I was so happy to get some items I needed," Abby said. "I'm just so glad that I had the opportunity to come and that there's somewhere close to my house that I can get stuff that I'm not able to get in time."
The free shopping experience included home goods, clothing, toys, and health and beauty products. Families also received all the ingredients needed for a complete holiday meal.
Netta Parks-Davis, CAC executive director, said the organization saw increased demand this year due to economic challenges.
"We had an increase this year especially because of the government shut down and how that really affected government workers and those families that are on government benefits," Parks-Davis said.
The event faced additional challenges this year when the CAC didn't receive expected grant money due to government cuts, making community support even more crucial.
Reginald Silvers, CAC president and board chair, emphasized the ongoing need for resources in south Kansas City.
"We definitely need a lot more support and funding to be able to give the resources that's needed out here in south Kansas City, which has been underdeveloped, underfunded for a very long time," Silvers said.
Despite the challenges, the organization successfully provided holiday assistance to families in need.
"Our families, our children and we all need each other to get were we're trying to go," Silvers said. "And so, we're just trying to do our part in assisting in that process."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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