NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. — Dozens of veteran families are getting a wonderful surprise and an early visit from Santa this holiday season.
The Wounded Veterans Relief Fund gave toys and meals to 40 families Wednesday morning in North Palm Beach.
They also gave gift cards to another 35 families, helping more than 70 veteran families in the process.
It’s the fifth year they do this toy distribution, and organizers told WPTV’s Victor Jorges they say they’ve seen growth each year.
They say, when they first started, they could only help about 10 families. Since then, other veteran organizations have joined their cause, and now they’re able to help dozens of families with toys and gift cards.
They collected hundreds of toys.
We spoke to a mother receiving toys for her six-month-old baby boy, Dexter.
Mother Caitlin Silva says this toy drive makes a world of a difference.
“This year, we are struggling so to be able to have a foundation like this, to help us through everything, it really means a lot to us to be able to provide for the babies and you know, give them, especially him, a good first Christmas,” she said.
Volunteers and ambassadors helped with wrapping gifts and writing cards.
This year, the Wounded Veterans Relief Fund started preparing for this moment in August.
Organizers say they usually work with Veteran Affairs to find families in need, and other organizations and social services to find families to help.
