Search to Involve Pilipino Americans Teams Up with Saweetie, Funko, and Other Filipino American Stars to Serve 200+ Los Angeles Families

This past Saturday, December 21, 2019, a team of dedicated individuals at Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), a Los Angeles non-profit organization, delivered toys to over 200 families in need during their annual Holiday Festival and Toy Distribution. Among them were special guests Saweetie, Eugene Cordero, Travis Atreo, the Filharmonic, and many more noteworthy stars that shared their time by distributing free toys to the children and providing a free show for the families. Ninong’s Café catered the event with free breakfast, while Manny Pacquiao Barbershop offered free haircuts throughout the day. This event is only one of many services that SIPA offers to underserved families in Downtown Los Angeles.

Top Row: Arianna Lady Basco, Maria Carmel, Dion Basco, Bottom Row: Santa, Mike Becker, Eugene Cordero, Tengku Chanela Jamidah Ibrahim, Saweetie and Carlin James - Photo by Sarah Albea (@sarahxangela)

Families Watching Performances at the Sipa Holiday Festival - Photo by Sarah Albea (@sarahxangela)

For ten years, SIPA has hosted a Holiday Festival and Toy Distribution to spread holiday cheer to the local families in Downtown Los Angeles who face financial difficulty year round. The day includes a free breakfast, a free show, and free haircuts provided by local Filipino-owned businesses. This collaborative event gathers talented artists and trailblazers together with local children and families to share a joyful morning. The performance line-up featured ten artists including the Filharmonic, Madeleine Humphries, Alex Ritchie, Travis Atreo, Martin Novales, Ryan Gallagher, Ron Velvet, Jeserey Sanchez, JamieBoy, and Jessica Louise. 

Mike Becker, the founder of Funko, donated over 300 of his widely popular figurines for distribution to the children that day. Becker distributed toys alongside a group of Santa’s Helpers, which included Tengku Chanela Jamidah Ibrahim, Sibley Scoles, Carlin James, Eugene Cordero, and the Icy Girl herself, Saweetie. Together with the staff of SIPA, these stars brightened the day of many local families.

Over 300 Funko Pops were distributed to the children that day - Photo By Sarah Albea (@sarahxangela)

Saweetie and Carlin James distributing toys to the children - Photo By Sarah Albea (@sarahxangela)

SIPA has been serving the Filipino American community in Los Angeles for forty-seven years. As a result, their services have extended beyond the Filipino community and reached other communities who have been systematically marginalized and disadvantaged. SIPA offers afterschool programs for local youth, human health services, technological workshops for the elderly, women empowerment workshops, financial literacy and small business programs, and a Hashtag Lunch Bag series to feed the homeless. To learn more about their services, please visit https://sipacares.org.

By Kristine de los Santos | December 26, 2019