Christmas has come to the coast, dozens of Pescadero children received gifts from the National Holiday Gift Program Children's Fund. Games, dolls, puzzles, stuffed animals, toy trucks and balls of all sizes were among the gifts given to the children.
"Donations from the Children's Fund are very useful," said Pescadero resident Alejandra Castro. “It was a very challenging year for us, but the gifts my son received brought him a lot of joy.”
The gifts were made possible by San Mateo County residents and local nonprofits who donated through an Amazon wish list.
"The Holiday Gift Program is like running a department store, warehouse and shipping fleet," said Rozeena Jhinnu, program coordinator for the Children's Fund. ?We have a great system and depend on our residents to make donations. Is it thanks to them that this program prospers?
Founded in 1973, the Children's Fund is a grassroots effort of social workers to help foster and low-income children in San Mateo County access goods and services not available through public funds.
More than 3,500 children and youth receive resources from the program each year, according to a statement from San Mateo County.
This year's gift distribution in Pescadero was held in conjunction with an event to help families prepare for this winter's storms. More than 100 local residents came out to receive an emergency kit and learn about storm preparedness and flood safety.
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