Christmas Food Basket and Toy Drive

Since 1982, Abiinooji Aki has been gathering food, new toys, and monetary funds for Christmas Food Baskets to help struggling families in Lac Courte Oreilles and Hayward who are trying to live a good life without substance abuse.  We have donors and supporters from all over the country who help us to meet our yearly goals.  Our volunteers help us shop for food, organize the food into stations, collect boxes for making the food baskets, put the baskets together, and deliver the baskets to identified families. It's a long day from start to finish.

Each year we receive donations from past participants and from their many friends who donate or solicit on our behalf to help others.  It is their way of showing gratitude for the healing and spiritual help they’ve received from one of our programs, Anishinaabe Way, Healing the Healers, Women’s gathering, Youth AODA, Winter Renewal, and from the many other retreat groups and special sessions that were held here over the past 36 years.

Over the years we have received the names of families from various Tribal programs and from other tribal members.  Our first year, our goal was 2 families.   Since then, we’ve gradually increased our goal a few more every year. Now for the past 5 years our goal has been over 40 families each year and we meet that goal.

Each year we look to partner with organizations to donate new toys for kids ages 0-17 to our annual toy drive. Abiinooji Aki in the past has partnered with Chase Bank employees and US Marines Toys for Tots program who donated new toys to over 200 kids.

We say a big Miigwech to our friends and their friends, LCO Police and Health Department, LCO Tribal Governing Board, LCO Ojibwe University and supporting organizations for all the help we’ve received to make this another one of our great successes.

How you can help!

Abiinooji Aki, is accepting donations until Dec. 19, 2025

• New toys for kids ages 0-17 up to 200 kids
• Non Perishable food items to fill 50 food baskets: Stuffing mixes, breakfast cereals, oatmeal, juice, hot cocoa mix, coffee, creamer, popcorn, canned pie fillings, canned soups, pie crust mixes, cake mixes, frostings, sugar, tea, noodles, mac n cheese, chicken broth, jello, salad dressings, nuts, candy canes and other items.
• Monetary funds to buy perishable items for 45 food baskets: Turkeys, ham, butter, potatoes, onions, bread, milk, eggs, fresh apples, oranges, fruits, veggies, desserts, cool whip and salad fixings.

Let's create an amazing partnership for a great cause!