Photo by Tom Jenz
Vaun Mayes
Vaun Mayes and volunteers on Christmas Eve
If you live in the economically deprived Westlawn and Parklawn neighborhoods on the North Side, Santa Claus and his elves paid you a visit on Christmas Eve. Santa took the form of Black activist Vaun Mayes, and his elves were the volunteers of his Community Task Force MKE organization. They had raised over $10,000 to purchase gifts, toys and bikes for the children.
The evening celebration evolved into a festive caravan of cars, U-Hauls, vans and fire trucks loaded with wrapped gifts. Residents and children had left their homes to greet the caravan and gratefully accept gifts. There was dancing in the streets, hip hop holiday carols, and children with wall-to-wall smiles. For a few hours, the streets were filled with love for community.
Through his Community Task Force MKE organization, 37-year old Mayes has long been an advocate for the residents of the central city. His work involves being face to face, not committee to committee or task force to task force. Wherever there is need for help, he will often show up.
Christmas Eve Begins
At 5 p.m,, earlier in the evening, the Sherman Park parking lot was crammed with cars, trucks and happy volunteers all ready to hand out gifts. For the 10th year in a row, Mayes put together RBGiftMust2023, spending months gathering donations from all over Milwaukee and the outskirts.
The evening began with a serious ceremony, the reading of the names of the 176 Milwaukee homicide victims in 2023, most of them people of color who had been killed in area neighborhoods.
After the ceremony, I spoke to Mayes and some of his volunteers. When I asked him how this gift drive had originated, he answered, “I started the GiftMust program 10 years ago. I did the first one by myself. I went door to door on Lloyd Street and asked for donations, I bought presents, and then I went back to that neighborhood and gave out gifts for the kids. We are now in our 10th year, and we’ve raised well over $10,000. Soon, we will be going door to door and handing out bikes and wrapped presents for the children. This year for the first time, the Milwaukee fire department will be helping pass out the presents.”
In the parking lot, I spoke with a few volunteers.
Said Milwaukee County Supervisor Dr Sequanna Taylor, “To the village, I am grateful to know these individuals and their hearts. To help others is beautiful.”
Then, there was Sheqilla Morrison, a ComForce member whose Butterfly Effect organization comforts those loved ones left behind by violence. She has personally lost 10 family members to violence in the last seven years. “We will be knocking on doors and giving the kids Christmas gifts,” she said. “There is no better feeling.”
Eighteen-year old volunteer Janiya Williams told me, “This is my third year doing this event. I enjoy giving gifts to children whose parents might not have the means to buy them gifts. I love seeing the kids’ smiles when they get their gifts.”
Milwaukee Deputy Fire Chief Darin Petersburs brought two fire trucks and a few firemen to the event. “Normally, we firefighters get to meet people in some of their worst times, victims of accidents, gunshots, fires or illness,” he said. “It’s great to be able to get to know the residents in a positive environment.”
I spoke with Dr. LaTonya Baker who runs Generation of Excellence Trendsetters, described as Wisconsin’s leading prenatal care company. “I’m here because I love being part of giving back,” she said. “This is what Christmas is all about, people collaborating to provide gifts for children.”
Christmas Eve Ends
When the night ended in the chosen neighborhoods, the volunteers had delivered over a thousand gift bags, around $1,000 cash, dozens of bikes and scooters and probably enough goodwill and hope to last for months.
When the celebration finally died down, Mayes had almost lost his voice, but he managed, “It’s been a beautiful night from start to finish. We blessed a lot of people.”
I sometimes think too many Americans have forgotten the meaning of Christmas, but then I have the good fortune of meeting these goodwill volunteers.
