ST. LOUIS, MO, January 11, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- One local family in need received several gifts this holiday season, thanks to the Hacienda Foundation of St. Louis and Giving is a Family Tradition (GiFT), a St. Louis-based non-profit organization.
The Hacienda Foundation of St. Louis adopted a family for the holiday season. GiFT hand-selected this family, who had experienced a house fire on Christmas in 2016 and lost nearly everything.
"The mother of this family has two young boys, ages six and three, and also has a new daughter, who was born six weeks early and had been in the NICU for two weeks. She also does not have a car, so replacing what was lost was extraordinarily difficult," said Jennifer Krassinger, founder of GiFT.
The Hacienda Foundation of St. Louis purchased several essentials for the family, plus toys and games for the children. The staff purchased and donated many of the items in addition to using funds raised to buy the rest.
"We were able to get everything on the list, plus some extra toys and gifts," said Alex Rodriguez, owner of Hacienda Mexican Restaurant. "The two boys had been sharing a twin bed, so we also purchased a new bed so that they can have their own."
On Thurs., December 21, The Hacienda Foundation of St. Louis wrapped all of the gifts and delivered a truckload of presents to the adopted family on Sat., December 23.
While the mother knew that her family was receiving something during the holidays, the truckload of gifts came as a big surprise.
"The mother was definitely surprised when we showed up with a truck full of everything she needed and more," Rodriguez said. "She gave me a long hug and a heartfelt thank you."
Krassinger and the team at GiFT are grateful for The Hacienda Foundation of St. Louis' support.
"We are thankful for all of the love and care that The Hacienda Foundation of St. Louis showed this family," Krassinger said. "The generosity of their family and staff has been such a gift for a family who has struggled to recover from losing everything only one year ago. It's because of community partners like the Hacienda Foundation of St. Louis that GiFT was able to support a record nine families this holiday season."
"This has been one of my favorite charities to partner with. Aside from loving their mission and their programs, I really enjoyed the one-on-one experience helping this family," Rodriguez said. "As a mother of two little girls, I know how fortunate we are to have many friends and family members who are always helping us. It definitely takes a village, and we are proud to have been this family's 'village.'"
To learn more about The Hacienda Foundation of St. Louis, please visit http://www.haciendafoundationstl.org.
For more information regarding GiFT, please visit http://www.givingisafamilytradition.org.
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