EAST CLEVELAND -- The holidays can be a tough time for some families and those tough times may leave some kids without any Christmas gifts to open but that's where Donte Gibbs steps in. "We said what can we do around the holidays to give hope, uplift spirits and increase that family bonding?"
Gibbs and his team of volunteers spent Saturday morning wrapping gifts for a city dear to their hearts.
"Over the past years, we have delivered over 1,000 gifts to east Cleveland families," Gibbs said. "We went shopping at 5-below, one of our partners, and we're here at Salvation army who allowed us to use the space and we have volunteers who are here to help."
Donte's Gift Express was started when he saw a need in the community he's called home his whole life.
"Doing something like this is very important because this is where we're from. A lot of times, there's a lot of negativity," he said. "We see the need and we try to address it."
To Donte, it's more than just handing out gifts. It's about seeing the smile on a community members face. "They've seen us grow up. So, to see us back and giving that joy, it's really just an amazing feeling," he said.
Later in this month, just before Christmas, Donte's Gift Express will hit the streets of East Cleveland to pass out the gifts.
"Typically, we do about 200 a year, but this year we upped it to 500," Gibbs said.
Thanks to a grant from Neighborhood Connections, Donte's team is able to double the amount of gifts they've handed out in previous years.
"I'm glad Donte is giving back to the community and helping out with families who are in need and families who can't afford to have a Christmas," Nicole Childs, a volunteer said.
The goal is larger than just a few small gifts.
"We want to get to a level where we're able to give a single a parent a car, whether it's a single father or mother," the founder of the program said. "Give away a house. Those are just a few things we're looking forward to doing in the future as we grow this program."