BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
On December 21st dozens of families convened at Jefferson Park for a community gift giveaway.
“The atmosphere here is love, we are trying to bring love to our community, we often see a lot of violence in our community and we want to change our environment, we want to change our city with showing kindness and showing love,” said Oswaldo Martinez.
Oswaldo Martinez is an East Bakersfield residents who has been organizing gift giveaways in his community for years now, but it was last year when he first organized an large giveaway event at Jefferson Park.
“The turnout is great, we love seeing new faces, we love seeing new children and the smiles on their faces.”
Families gathered as Martinez and others performed songs and shared words from the Bible before commencing their gift giveaway – which was open to all and featured 200 donated gifts.
Father Resendo Meija appreciated the event.
“Just seeing them happy, and taking a picture with them, I can look back on that for many years to come,” Meija said.
Hisson got a toy of one of his favorite superheroes.
And families like the Long and Reyes family told me without this event they would not have been able to afford gifts for their kids this year.
And Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh Stopped by the event.
“We are blessed in Bakersfield to have such a generous community. We have many who are facing the challenges of at-risk conditions and poverty and to see the love just poured out during the holiday during the Christmas time is so wonderful,” Goh said.
The event distributed roughly 200 gifts to local children - and you could tell the families there were feeling the holiday spirit.
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