While there are dozens of toy drives across the county this time of year, this one is special in the way the donated toys are passed along to families.
It’s been difficult lately for Ingrid Carrillo to pay for life’s most basic necessities, like groceries and rent.
“One of the main principles for us is the dignity of the family,” said Mary Agnes Erlandson, St. Margaret’s Center director. “We want to be sure that the parents select the gifts — that they’re the givers.” “It’s been really stressful,” she said. “We’ve had to borrow money, my sister has helped us with food.”
Throughout the day, similar scenes unfolded as moms and dads made their selections. This year, local businesses, churches and schools donated about 4,000 toys. The 34-year-old single mother moved to Los Angeles from Georgia a couple of years ago. She lost her job at a senior center in the fall. She’s applied to at least 60 jobs in the past few weeks — at restaurants, shoe stores, clothing stores and the post office.
Claudia Molina’s eyes welled with tears as she held on to her bag loaded with gifts. She got her 6-year-old, Michael, an art set, her 8-year-old, Kevin, some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and her 10-year-old, Kayla, a skateboard. She planned to go home and hide the presents in the garage, then tell her husband all about it.
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