The Grinch tried to steal Christmas. But the Hood Santa got it back
The Local Hearts Foundation had hundreds of donated toys stolen last week. But with help from communities around the country, the nonprofit had plenty for its annual giveaway Saturday.
Hood Santa was ready to spread some Christmas cheer,
but suddenly the Grinch decided “No, not here.”
Christmas then seemed grim when all the toys were stolen,
but folks pulled together and thousands more rolled in.
Hundreds of families wrapped around MacArthur Park Saturday, some as early as 3 a.m., in anticipation of a huge toy giveaway by Long Beach’s Local Hearts Foundation.
“This touches me very deep in my heart,” said Long Beach resident Samantha Contreras, who was one of the first people in line, along with her four daughters. “Times are hard and everything is very expensive. This is a big blessing to us.”
The foundation was started more than a decade ago by beloved philanthropists Tito Rodriguez, known as the Hood Santa, and HJ Chong, who wanted to give back to underserved communities.
But despite all its hard work this year to ensure hundreds of families had Christmas gifts for their kids, the Local Hearts Foundation suffered a setback when donated toys were stolen out of a truck in Downtown Los Angeles.
Rodriguez and many others took to social media asking for help tracking down the stolen toys. The story spread and prompted communities from all around the country, including Arizona, Florida, and Massachusetts, to rally for the foundation.
In less than a week, people had donated thousands of toys — far more than the organization previously had, Rodriguez said.
Children were able to pick from a huge variety of toys from Legos and Barbies to scooters and footballs.
"To be completely honest, it's like a blessing in disguise," Rodriguez told the Watchdog Saturday. "Good prevailed no matter what and Christmas happened for the children here."
Rodriguez said he understands what it's like to grow up with few resources like many of the families attending the event. That struggle always stayed in the back of his mind, he said, so he made it his mission to help families and their children.
"The reward is seeing kids smile that they got something for Christmas," Rodriguez said.
He also said he was thankful for every volunteer and donor who came together to make the event a success.
"Without them, we wouldn't be able to do any of this," he said.
The impact of events like the giveaway is evident. For many low-income families, it's the only ways to make sure their kids have a gift to open on Christmas Day, said Magda Tellez.
Tellez, a Long Beach resident, said she goes to the toy giveaway each year for her children, lining up before the crack of dawn.
"Siempre estoy muy agradecida por ellos," Tellez said in Spanish. "I'm always so grateful for them."
"Lo que hacen es impactante, mira toda la gente que está aquí," she added. "What they do is impactful, look at all the people that are here."
We need your support.
Subcribe to the Watchdog today.
The Long Beach Watchdog is owned by journalists, and paid for by readers like you. If independent, local reporting like the story you just read is important to you, support our work by becoming a subscriber.
