CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Child Protective Services receives dozens of donations from community partners every year who selflessly give to children who may be living in circumstances that make it difficult to receive even a single Christmas present. 3News went to their headquarters to find out what it takes to make sure every child in the Coastal Bend has a special Christmas.
Melissa Hernandez is a CPS adoption supervisor, and she has spent this holiday season racing against time to get presents in the hands of foster children.
“Some- they just love to unwrap things with their name on it.”
The Nueces Child Welfare Foundation worked to provide gifts for the children in CPS foster care, Hernandez said these donations serve a deeper purpose.
“They need to know that there are people out there that do care. That they are loved.”
It was evident by the number of toys donated that those more than 600 children are loved, indeed.
That's why caseworks have been working hard to give personal gifts to all those children.
“Anything from a book to a bike," she said, “some kiddos were asking for Nintendo switches, tablets. And we were very fortunate the stakeholders, they did listen to the kiddos.”
For these children, nothing is amiss. Not a smile… or even a Christmas wish.
Hernandez told 3News that, for her, it is all worth it.
“The smile on their face says it all, really it does. Because they were just expecting one or two gifts and when they opened it up to see it’s going to be a tablet or it’s going to be an xbox or it’s literally going to be an iPad, they get so excited."
If you would like to help donate toys to children in the community, you can contact Monica Alaniz at 361-854-2011 or monica.alaniz@dfps.texas.gov.
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