(CBS-DETROIT) —Grammy-nominated multi-platinum music producer Filthy Rockwell continues to bring holiday cheer to Detroit families.
Thousands of gifts have been donated by the community to his nonprofit organization “Filthy Cares” for the sixth annual Adopt-A-Block program.
Volunteers were hard at work on Sunday wrapping the gifts, which will be given to children of all ages on Christmas Day.
“We look for specific neighborhoods where there is a high concentration of children, and select those children who will be surprised on Christmas morning for a real Santa Claus experience,” said Shed Amin, marketing manager of said Centauri Global Spirits.
Rockwell says the program and his nonprofit started as an idea many years ago.
“It was an idea because when I was young, sometimes I didn’t get a gift, sometimes I didn’t get the gift I wanted. So I dreamed that, maybe someday someone will show up with a gift,” Rockwell said.
While that never happened for Rockwell as a child, his nonprofit has managed to bring the holiday spirit to those who need it most.
What started with just a handful of people has now grown into dozens of volunteers and more than 5,000 donations.
“We are so preoccupied and overwhelmed with our daily activities, but you have to take a moment to understand that as hard as it is for us, there are others where the weight is on a whole different level, and that this is certainly an opportunity where we can give something back,” Amin said.
Rockwell says seeing the joy on children’s faces makes it worth the hours of handing out gifts.
“It’s all about random acts of kindness and people showing up and giving people Christmas who sometimes don’t have Christmas, or maybe they do have Christmas, and we just still show up and, you know, just add something to it because she I’ll never forget the day those random people knocked on the door,” Rockwell said.
He says this random act of kindness will hopefully show children that the community cares about them and that they will carry that in their hearts forever.
The nonprofit still needs volunteers to bring the real Santa Claus experience to families on Christmas Day.
Anyone wanting to help can meet at The Congregation at 9321 Rosa Parks Blvd. in Detroit at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
