EnVi and AAJA NY Spread Holiday Cheer with Children’s Gift Drive at Café Joah
This past Saturday, EnVi and AAJA New York joined forces to host a heartwarming Give & Sip event at Cafe Joah. Nestled in the coffee shop’s hidden speakeasy, community members gathered to spread holiday cheer and support API and immigrant youth in New York City. For many, the gift drive event wasn’t just about giving back — it was an opportunity to create lasting connections in a time of need.
“EnVi’s ethos has always been rooted in collaboration,” said Azadeh Valanejad, the founding Editor-in-Chief of EnVi. “That doesn’t only apply to our team, but extends to the API community at large.”
By partnering with Cafe Joah, the event embraced the season of giving in more ways than one. Attendees not only helped put gifts into the hands of kids in need, but also supported a local AAPI-owned business along the way. Upon purchasing a drink or pastry from Cafe Joah, guests could access an array of festive activities in the shop’s speakeasy. Present-wrapping and card-making stations lined the booths, along with gift basket raffles featuring goodies from various AAPI-owned brands.
All gift donations went directly to Apex For Youth, a NYC-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved Asian and immigrant youth from low-income families. From brand new toys to beloved books, over eighty presents were collected to bring joy to Apex’s students.
“This was truly a wonderful showing of community coming together to give back ahead of the holidays,” said Beau Dorien, Apex For Youth’s Manhattan Elementary Program Director. “Apex is so grateful for the work, thought, and generosity put into this event and honored to have our families thought of during the holiday season,”
Toy and apparel donations will go directly to supporting Apex’s local Title I partner schools and their holiday gift drives. Books collected from the Give & Sip will be distributed at Apex’s annual book fair, where families can access thousands of free books for their young readers.
“My dream is for EnVi to regularly get involved with more community events,” Valanejad reflected. “Now more than ever, especially given the political turmoil and rise of inequity against marginalized communities, it’s important we stand together in unity to help one another.”
Echoing this sentiment, AAJA New York Board Director Tina Wang emphasized the power of collaboration. “There’s so much strength in working as a collective — it helps us navigate challenges and celebrate our stories in ways we couldn’t on our own. At the end of the day, it’s about building something bigger than any one organization — a future where we all rise together,” she said.
For those who couldn’t attend the Give & Sip, you can still support Apex For Youth through their upcoming events and volunteer opportunities! Stay tuned for more opportunities to get involved and give back with EnVi (@envimediaco) and AAJA New York (@aajanewyork).
Want more reflections on 2024? Check out EnVi’s “Best of 2024” content here!
