SACRAMENTO, CA - It is very possible that all 47 families left without Christmas packages when a promised donor did not honor her commitment will have gifts to open on Christmas morning after all.
After Dr. Anthony Retodo of Folsom's Kaiser Permanente dropped off Kaiser's gifts to the Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center, he learned that someone had adopted 26 families on the list and then never came through with the gifts.
"That really hurt deep inside," Retodo said. "And I thought is there something we could do?"
He spread the word at Kaiser and staff members responded, raising money and rushing out and buying more gifts that volunteers were busily wrapping Friday afternoon. The donation means all 26 of the families will receive Christmas packages.
"This time of year when it's cold like this, the truth is we have a warmness in our hearts that really needs to be shared," Retodo said.
Over at the Volunteer Center of Sacramento, they had 21 families left out in the cold because of the same woman who had promised gifts to the Emergency Housing Center. While all their problems weren't solved by Friday afternoon, donations were pouring in.
"Right now, we've received donations from one extreme to another, from scotch tape and wrapping paper to toys to gift cards to cash donations," Director of Volunteer Services Cyndee Reed said.
However, they were still hoping more gift cards or cash donations would come in by Saturday so that all the teenagers on their list would get presents as well.
Donations can be made by calling 916-567-3131 or visiting the website www.volunteersac.org.
By Jonathan Mumm, jmumm@news10.net
News10/KXTV