Oakland nonprofit Lu Lu's House says a road trip to Los Angeles turned into a 500-plus toy haul that is now headed straight into the hands of local families for the holidays. The organization, founded by Zirl Wilson and Tracy Lambert, also runs transitional housing and job-training programs for people returning from incarceration.
According to Post News Group, Wilson and Lambert, who were both previously incarcerated, organized the toy run and set up a giveaway they say will involve Mayor Barbara Lee's office. The same reporting notes that the group developed housing specifically for people who were previously incarcerated.
What Lu Lu's House Does
Lu Lu's House is listed as a registered 501(c)(3) and runs a mission at 8850 MacArthur Boulevard, where it provides meals, emergency shelter and life-recovery services. The organization's website outlines housing placement and employment training programs intended to stabilize residents and connect them with services.
Past Giveaways And The Volunteers
Local TV cameras have turned up at Lu Lu's House events before. KTVU reported that volunteers once set up a warehouse at 725 Louisiana Street for a previous distribution and profiled participants who said the experience of volunteering changed their lives. The station also reported that Wilson was formerly incarcerated and survived a 2023 shooting, details organizers say inform how they approach outreach.
Beyond the toy drive itself, Post News Group reports that the program teaches practical skills, including running a car-wash operation in East Oakland, and that participants ages 13–17 have taken part in more than eight city "keep the town clean" sessions. The outlet adds that sports agent Aaron Goodwin pledged full-ride scholarships to eight young people from the program and highlights 15-year-old Dremont Wilkes, who plans to study financial aid work and will help hand out toys.
Why It Matters
The toy push comes as city and county offices coordinate their own holiday drives. The City of Oakland's Human Services Department and the Alameda County–Oakland Community Action Partnership listed a holiday toy giveaway this month that involved Mayor Barbara Lee's office. That broader backdrop helps explain why community groups and city leaders are lining up multiple distributions this season.
Organizers say that handing out gifts functions both as a direct service for families and as a training ground for people rebuilding their lives after incarceration. For Lu Lu's House, the wall of toys and the promised scholarships are intended to send a clear message that reentry programs can be part of both short-term holiday relief and long-term opportunity.
