Men, women and children wait in line to receive their gifts during the toy giveaway Thursday at The Salvation Army on Fourth Street in El Centro. (JOSELITO VILLERO PHOTO) |
Yadira Osuna was feeling a bit under the weather Thursday as she waited about an hour to gather some holiday gifts for her four children at the El Centro Salvation Army Thrift Store on Fourth Street.
But that didn’t matter since bringing some holiday cheer to her little ones was a priority for Osuna, who signed up to receive the donated gifts for the first time, she said.
“So,” Salvation Army Capt. Vicky Esqueda said to those who waited during the giveaway, “how is everyone today?”
“Sick,” Osuna said.
Weak could also best describe the declining number of donated toys the Salvation Army received this holiday season as the recession impacted what is usually the organization’s biggest free toy distribution event in the Imperial Valley.
This year roughly 2,000 toys have been rounded up for low-income families in both the north and south ends of the county, Esqueda said. Last year 4,000 to 5,000 of the free gifts had been collected, she said.
“We’ve dropped as far as how many families we can serve,” said Vicky Esqueda, who helped manage the anxious number of people waiting in line at the Fourth Street thrift store. “Because of that it’s been way down. It’s half.”
As if to make things worse, monetary donations collected by the familiar red kettles for the Salvation Army have also declined this year by as much as 35 percent, Esqueda said.
“This is the lowest it’s ever been,” she said.
Still, referrals to other charitable agencies are given out to those seeking holiday gifts, Esqueda said.
People had to register in October for the gifts that were targeted for newborns to 12-year-old children. The children, however, could not accompany their parents when selecting the gifts.
“What happens is that they go crazy when they see the toys,” Esqueda said. “It’s supposed to be a surprise for the children when they open a gift Christmas morning.”
Staff Writer Silvio J. Panta can be reached at 760-337-3442 or at spanta@ivpressonline.com
But that didn’t matter since bringing some holiday cheer to her little ones was a priority for Osuna, who signed up to receive the donated gifts for the first time, she said.
“So,” Salvation Army Capt. Vicky Esqueda said to those who waited during the giveaway, “how is everyone today?”
“Sick,” Osuna said.
Weak could also best describe the declining number of donated toys the Salvation Army received this holiday season as the recession impacted what is usually the organization’s biggest free toy distribution event in the Imperial Valley.
This year roughly 2,000 toys have been rounded up for low-income families in both the north and south ends of the county, Esqueda said. Last year 4,000 to 5,000 of the free gifts had been collected, she said.
“We’ve dropped as far as how many families we can serve,” said Vicky Esqueda, who helped manage the anxious number of people waiting in line at the Fourth Street thrift store. “Because of that it’s been way down. It’s half.”
As if to make things worse, monetary donations collected by the familiar red kettles for the Salvation Army have also declined this year by as much as 35 percent, Esqueda said.
“This is the lowest it’s ever been,” she said.
Still, referrals to other charitable agencies are given out to those seeking holiday gifts, Esqueda said.
People had to register in October for the gifts that were targeted for newborns to 12-year-old children. The children, however, could not accompany their parents when selecting the gifts.
“What happens is that they go crazy when they see the toys,” Esqueda said. “It’s supposed to be a surprise for the children when they open a gift Christmas morning.”
Staff Writer Silvio J. Panta can be reached at 760-337-3442 or at spanta@ivpressonline.com
