TUCSON, Ariz (KGUN) — Some special generosity will give a lot of kids a better Christmas. KGUN 9 On Your Side was a witness to Miracle En El Barrio.
Christmas can involve gifts on many different levels. For 20 years now, Miracle En El Barrio has been a special gift for families.
At 12th and Ajo, at Saint John’s Church, families lined up almost three hours early but the warmth of this event was more than enough to cut the morning chill.
A long list of companies and organizations come together to be sure children here will have a toy for Christmas.
For Gionni Viera-Rodriguez it’s a cool new bike.
He says: “We've been here for like an hour and this is my first time my nose is really numb too.”
KGUN 9 reporter Craig Smith: “Was this something you were especially hoping to find? A bike? Gionni: Yeah, It was his reason to come in in the morning to ask Santa Claus for a bike.”
For Sheila Patricio this generosity means a better Christmas for her three kids, aged five, three, and one.
Craig: So this was a surprise to them?
Sheila: Yeah. It was a surprise. They saw one kid with a dinosaur. They love dinosaurs and monster trucks and they’re excited.”
Organizer Steve Nunez says, “It's just something that Jon and I came together with because we both know that feeling of waking up Christmas morning and not receiving a toy. That's our hearts.
When he was a reporter for KGUN 9, Steve Nunez covered another man’s struggles to collect toys for his community. That led him to team up with Jon Volpe of Nova Home Loans to create Miracle En El Barrio. They figure in the 20 years since, they’ve helped 40 thousand kids go home with a toy.
Volpe says, “Oh, it brings a joy to my heart, in our heart. And you know, seeing the smile on these kids' faces when they receive a Christmas present from the real Santa Claus from the North Pole that we got here. First year Steve Nunez was Santa Claus, but now we've got the real one.”
Nunez laughed as he said, “Yeah, I didn't make a very good Santa Claus.”
Over the years many businesses and organizations have joined in the giving with gifts of fun, and practical gifts like prescription eyeglasses—in a miracle that flows both ways with joy for those who receive and those who give.
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Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
