The Christmas Posada is really a time for the Operation Feed volunteers to give to our families all that has been collected and funded throughout the year that makes their holiday a little better.
The local parish priest came to offer a blessing for our families. Along with the blessing was quite a bit of humor and good wishes for a safe new year.
The families may only bring one child to help during the gift time. Viva Mexico's garden area holds the 100 family members and the 40 volunteers plus all the gifts ... but outside there are lots of children waiting to help carry everything home.
Serious faces during the blessing, with children waiting anxiously for the Christmas gifts and stockings.
And once the villagers have been blessed and told about the gifts, they are off in groups of 5 families at a time. Agustin draws numbers and sends the families to choose their special Christmas gift from among the 120 gifts that have been donated. Gently used sheets, towels ... kitchen items ... blankets ... suitcases... holiday decorations ... toys, and more. Then the families picked up the Christmas Stockings filled by the Egg Ladies with items bought and donated by many of our benefactors. Next a bag of travel soaps and shampoos and on to the chicken dinners. Then it is to the Christmas presents for the children 12 and under from GO Restaurant and all those who took a child's name and bought him/her a special gift. Scarves and purses and finally to the special Christmas gift for this year ... three different sized Tupperware containers and a bigger plastic bin to keep food items in. Wow! What a great Christmas for our families.
Our best laid plans don't always work. Some of our mothers couldn't make it to the 12:00 time due to their work schedules. So, they arrived at 1:00 p.m. We were able to laugh at our mom in the red apron who has 7 children and was also collecting items for her wheelchair bound aunt. How in the world would she carry everything home? Well, once the volunteers helped her get the items to the street, her family was all there to help get the goodies to their home.
Credits:
Dan Sieben ... thanks for the wonderful photos.