TLG Gives, the philanthropic arm of the Loken Group, made a lasting impact in the community this year with its 2017 Angel Tree initiative. The program supports local families, friends and past clients of The Loken Group who experienced hardship around the holidays.

The Loken Group’s Angel Tree program was launched in 2016 by its founder and president, Karina Loken. “The purpose of creating TLG Gives was to uplift those in the community who needed extra support through difficult times. The program exemplifies the commitment that TLG Gives has made to the community,” said Loken.

Internally, members of The Loken Group submitted names of potential candidates who would be suitable contenders for the program. Once all nominations were submitted, committees were established for each family to ensure TLG Gives provided the best possible gifts for each family.

This year, the team at the Loken Group have nominated 8 deserving families in the local Houston area for the program. In total, the Loken Group raised $6,465 from both team and outside donations that went towards providing these families with everything from toys and clothes to a holiday meal. Learn more about a few of this year’s incredible families and their stories below.

A number of difficult circumstances have left the Richardsons in desperate need of help to accommodate for their family members. One member of the Richardson family is battling a chronic illness, while another was displaced during Harvey and lost many of their belongings. With all 7 members of the family under one roof, TLG Gives provided them with a mattress and couch for additional sleeping arrangements, as well as shoes, clothing, basic school supplies, and a holiday meal.

Medical issues and other unforeseen circumstances have left the Hall family in financial hardship, and they have been struggling to make it work with their two kids. TLG Gives provided the Hall family with a holiday meal, toys, and a gift card for a fun family outing.

Kendra Hall expressed how appreciative they were for TLG Gives making this holiday such a special one. “There are simply no words to thank you all for helping give us Christmas for our family!! We are so grateful!”

The O’Neil family has experienced financial strain after being laid off from their jobs early this year. After learning of their hardships, TLG Gives arranged a fun outing for the family at Zoo Lights, in addition to gifting them with toys and a meal for the whole family to enjoy.

The Escobar family dealt with financial difficulties over this past year that have prevented them from finding a new home with more space.Their youngest child who is 4 months old was born premature and the family’s top priority has been focusing on the baby’s health. Once TLG Gives learned of the family’s struggles, we purchased them a Christmas meal as well as toys, gift cards, and baby items.

“We are so appreciative of everything. You have definitely made us have a wonderful Christmas,” said Mrs. Escobar.

In addition to the 4 families above, TLG Gives helped 4 other families through the Angel Tree initiative who have experienced hardships ranging from illness to loss of their homes and belongings after Hurricane Harvey. Gift cards, kitchen and cleaning supplies, winter clothes, furniture, toys, and meals were delivered to these families just in time for the holidays.

TLG Gives does 2 main philanthropic outreach projects annually: The TLG Gives Angel Tree in December and the TLG Home Transformation in the summer, where we surprise one deserving family in need by transforming their home, giving them peace of mind and a comfortable home environment. We take year-round donations to fund these projects in our community. To make your tax-deductible donation, donate using the link below. To learn more about TLG Gives, visit our website. To make donations to TLG Gives, please visit our Paypal.