A Texas first grader’s humbling letter to Santa Claus has prompted an outpouring of donations after her teacher posted the note to social media.
ABC News reported that Ruth Espiricueta, a first-grade teacher at Monte Cristo Elementary School in Edinburg, instructed her students to pen a letter to Santa about something they want and need. Espiricueta said she was mulling over the assignments when one note gave her pause.
“I have binde good this day,” 7-year-old Crystal Pacheco’s letter starts out.
“This Christmas I would like a ball and a food. I need a blancet.”
This makes me very sad. When your students ask for food, blankets, or a bed instead of toys😔As a teacher it breaks my…
Posted by Ruth Espiricueta on Wednesday, December 13, 2017
The first-grade teacher told KRGV that Pacheco’s letter reminded her that poverty doesn’t take a holiday.
“When she asked for a blanket it just broke my heart and it made me realize that some of these kids don’t have anything to stay warm at night,” Espiricueta said. “Or they sleep on the floor.”
However, the child’s mother, Maria Isabel Cortez, revealed that her daughter had more than herself in mind when she wrote to Santa.
“She wrote the card thinking about her brother, she said she wanted the ball to play with him, food to have food at the house, and a blanket because the house is too cold,” she told the station.
Pacheco’s gesture hasn’t gone unnoticed. In fact, a day after Espiricueta posted the letter to Facebook, local resident Nashley Garcia came to the elementary school with 20 blankets in tow. For the letter’s writer, The Washington Post reported that Garcia brought her an Avengers blanket and three types of balls: a football, soccer ball, and a football.
Friends our school Monte Cristo Elementary will be taking monetary and blanket donations to make sure our babies stay…
Posted by Ruth Espiricueta on Thursday, December 14, 2017
Tomorrow there will be a toy drive at the Edinburg police department on Freddy Gonzalez and Closner it starts at 9 a.m. They will be giving toys to all children present.
Posted by Ruth Espiricueta on Friday, December 15, 2017
“When I saw her, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s a girl!’,” said Garcia, who unwrapped the presents with the 7-year-old.
“I asked her why she wanted a ball. She wanted a ball to share with her older brother.”
“She just looked at me. She just said ‘thank you’ and she gave me a hug.”
With donations pouring in, school officials decided to organize a blanket drive to help children like Pachceo. Since then, hundreds of blankets have been donated to the school, according to KRGV.
As for Pacheco, she had a special message for Santa.
“Thank you for the presents,” she said.
[Featured Image: Ruth Espiricueta/Facebook]
