DAVIE, Fla. – With so many families struggling to put food on the table this holiday season, buying gifts isn’t even an option.
Bottomline: Santa Clause is strapped so several organizations are stepping up to help.
The Rick Case Bikes for Kids program for instance is celebrating its 38th anniversary and already distributing bikes.
The program has provided more than 125,000 bicycles to children during the holidays since 1982 and is in the process of collecting more bikes from the community for the season through December 21st.
This year’s collection goal is set at 6,500 bikes, which will be distributed through area Boys & Girls Clubs and other charities, churches and schools.
Bikes can be dropped off at Rick Case Auto Dealerships.
Meanwhile, as part of the U.S. Marines’ Toys for Tots campaign, Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman-elect Jose “Pepe” Diaz was spotted shopping for Christmas toys at a Walmart in Doral for local needy children.
Chairman-elect Diaz was joined by several U.S. Marines and Walmart employees, picking out thousands of toys to benefit children from several faith-based and community-based organizations whose parents cannot afford to buy toys.
The toys will then be loaded onto a truck and transported to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Center to be sorted, sanitized and prepared for distribution.
The Salvation Army Angel Tree program is also having a comeback this year.
It offers a relief to parents who must make the tough decision of not purchasing their children Christmas gifts to pay their utility bill or put gas in their car.
The Joy Center is set up with over 1,000 toys that will soon be distributed to thousands of families in Miami-Dade County who may otherwise go without this Christmas.
While hundreds of “Angels” have yet to be “adopted” The Salvation Army remains hopeful that the Miami community will join them in the fight to Rescue Christmas for the most vulnerable.
Due to the increase in services The Salvation Army has a goal to provide 3,000 children with gifts for the holidays and ensuring that 1,500 local families are not evicted.
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