Joy of giving, receiving on display at Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries holiday party

Story by Louis Aguilar

Updated Dec. 13, 2025, 3:55 p.m. ET

Ajanay Bradshaw and Ashley Patterson were among the nearly 2,000 families lucky enough to receive toys and clothes at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries’ annual Adopt-A-Family Holiday Party.

The Eastpointe friends brought their daughters to the Saturday event at the rescue mission’s east side Detroit banquet hall at 3606 E. Forest Ave.

Among the highlights were bags of toys, clothes and other items that more than 1,000 sponsors — from families, community groups, small businesses and big businesses — donated to ensure that more than 8,000 children would have Christmas gifts this year, according to organizers for the Detroit rescue mission.

Bradshaw and Patterson, like most families who participated, are not homeless and both are employed, which is typical for most of the families involved, said Chad Audi, president and CEO of the rescue mission.

The families had to apply months earlier to be “sponsored” for the Christmas event, and the maximum limit was reached quickly, Audi said.

“That is typical of the way things are going this year. Demand is up for all our services,” Audi said. The Detroit rescue mission operates homeless shelters and substance abuse clinics, among other services.

Recent U.S. data shows 51% of children in Detroit lived in poverty in 2024, a rate that is three times the national average, according to U.S. census data released in September. Overall, Detroit is the poorest U.S. major city, meaning a city with a population over 500,000.

Bradshaw came with her 5-year-old daughter, Najay Crosby, and Patterson came with her 8-year-old daughter Harper Mariweather. Bradshaw works for a medical supply company but said “the economy is getting tougher, prices are going up on a lot of things.” She was “very grateful” that her daughter could get gifts this year.

Bradshaw, in fact, loaned money to her friend Patterson after the latter lost her job from an insurance company. It took her months to land another job at another insurance firm, Patterson said.

“Oh my God — the stress,” Patterson said as she talked about the months of searching for a job. “You know, you try to hide it,” she said, pointing to her daughter, as Patterson began to choke up. “But you know they can tell more than you want, it’s just…” She did not finish her sentence.

“I do have a lot to be grateful for,” Patterson said.

Not only was there a visit from Santa on Saturday, the families received a free meal. Haircuts were offered for males and a hair stylist was on hand for females as well a pair giving manicures — all the services were made possible by people donating their skills.

The rescue mission is still accepting donations of toys and clothes. Among those who dropped off boxes of new winter clothing were a group of high school students from Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, who came with Sara Syeda, from the nonprofit People for Humanity.

“It always feels good to give back, to do the work of getting the donations and helping people; it is rewarding,” said Aariz Yusuf, 17. He and the other high school students were part of a group called Students Against Narcotics Tobacco and Alcohol, or SANTA, which routinely does volunteer work.