CEO of UnitedHealthCare Community Plan in Michigan Dennis Mouras has been working with the Magic Johnson Foundation for two years for Holiday Hope. 

Mouras said the event provides food, personal essential items, toys and clothing to economically disadvantaged families in Michigan.

“Last year we did Detroit and Lansing, and this year we added Flint into the mix for obvious reasons with all the issues going on in Flint,” Mouras said. “It was literally less than a minute conversation when we were talking to the Magic Johnson Foundation to say, ‘Hey, should we add Flint into it?’ and both of us enthusiastically wanted to do it. It’s an over $400,000 investment for us over the three years to be the presenting sponsor, but it is very rewarding to be able to do what we are doing.”

Families lined up in cars and patiently waited with their trunks open as volunteers and Magic Johnson himself loaded them with supplies and food.

Lansing resident Sidney Sauseda, who found out about the event from a friend, waited in the line to receive the giveaway.

“It is a great thing honestly, it’s a program that is very much needed by the community because there is so many people that really need this kind of help, especially this time of year and the way the economy is set up right now,” Sauseda said. “There is a lot of people that don’t have the means in which to do this for their family and just the feeling it gives you that you can actually do something for your family because you got help by someone else is amazing. It’s a feeling you can’t describe.”

Despite the cold weather, volunteers were working hard to make sure every family walked or drove away with warms clothes and food in their hands.

“This is what community is about — we talk a lot about building community or being a part of the community, but when people put their money where their mouth is and their actions into real tangible results, then that’s what this looks like,” Justin Sheehan, executive director of the Lansing Promise, said. “We’ve got hundreds of people on a freezing cold day making sure that kids have what they need and the families have what they need. So this is family, Lansing is family, Lansing is community. We’re going to take care of our own, one way or the other, and this is a great way to do it.”

The Lansing Promise is a non-profit scholarship program that helps students and families in need.

Rows of turkeys, coats and toys were consistently being handed over to families by volunteers. 

Marlon Dorsey, a Magic Johnson Foundation volunteer, has been with the organization for about 20 years.

“Without a doubt it’s gratifying,” Dorsey said. “It’s something that comes without any conditions, there is no expectation. ... It’s something, especially with events like this when you see the appreciation the people have being on the receiving end.”

Magic Johnson Foundation provided Holiday Hope at Detroit, Flint and Lansing this year, with the help of volunteers and Johnson and his family.

“Yesterday we did the event in Flint, and we all know what happened in Flint with the water crisis and that right there, that was just beyond measurable, and things like this and other events and functions that we get involved with, you just walk away with a sense of gratefulness and humbleness realizing that you are blessed with so much,” Dorsey said. “For me, it’s just a personal sense of gratification being able to do this, and I’ll continue to do that as long as he needs it. I have no intentions of stopping anytime soon as long as I’m fully capable to be in the position to help.”

To be able to receive the Holiday Hope giveaway, families were provided vouchers to go through the line. However, Mouras made it clear that they weren’t turning away anyone.

“We have different stations and will pull up five or six cars at a time and each one of those stations load up the food, clothing, the personal items and the toys into the trunks and then all those six cars will leave and another six will pull up,” Mouras said. “What I can tell you is we really don’t turn people down. I was there yesterday and somebody didn’t have a voucher, so we just loaded them up anyway because we know we have extra.”