Kids can grab a toy from Little Village Discount Mall, pictured with Santa at a holiday event

LITTLE VILLAGE – A Little Village group is hosting the Una Nochebuena event this week at the Discount Mall nearby.

Nonprofit organization Urban Warriors is hosting the event Thursday from 4-8 p.m. at the Discount Mall, 3115 W. 26th St. The first 500 kids can get a $20 voucher to choose their own small business gift and have a photo with the make Santa Claus.

This is Urban Warriors’ second year coordinating the event. The organizers distributed 200 gift vouchers last year.

The vouchers are only eligible at participating merchants in the mall and are issued on a first come, first served basis. There will also be live music and food from local vendors.

“Last year’s Christmas Voucher Program was such a meaningful event for both our local youth and our small businesses, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring this uplifting program back at such a pivotal time this year,” Rey Raigoza, Founder and the group’s executive director, said in a statement.

Partnering with the Discount Mall is important as concerns are growing whether this will be the last Christmas season for the old mall. Vendor contracts were due to expire in January and it’s still unclear what the developer’s plans are.

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