A gracious plenty
City and waste company join to provide families a holiday feast
CALEXICO — With Thanksgiving fast approaching, Calexico resident Leticia Noriega had started the week not knowing whether her household of five would be able to enjoy a homecooked turkey dinner.
Those concerns were set aside on Tuesday, when Noriega and another less-fortunate Calexico household were provided turkeys and gift baskets from the city of Calexico and Republic Services.
The significance of the city and waste collection company’s gesture was not lost on Noriega, who thanked her benefactors for not forgetting about the needs of the elderly or single mothers during the holidays.
The donated food items were also accompanied by a $50 gift card to allow the two households to purchase any additional items they felt were needed to round out their respective Thanksgiving dinners.
“It’s going to help us a lot,” Noriega said in Spanish. “It’s truly a blessing.”
The idea to donate the gift baskets to vulnerable Calexico families stemmed from a desire to provide a helping hand during the holiday, as well as strengthen the company’s ties with the community, said Republic Services division manager German Hernandez.
“We are part of the community,” Hernandez said. “We want to make sure the residents here are part of what we do.”
To further drive home that point, Republic Services has similar plans to provide even more vulnerable families with food items, clothing and gifts for Christmas.
“It’s going to be even better,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez was joined on Tuesday at City Hall for the presentation by some of his co-workers, including a driver and resident of Calexico.
Also on hand from the city were Calexico Police Department Chief Gonzalo Gerardo and Calexico Fire Department Chief Diego Favila, both of whom helped the recipients carry their bounties to their respective vehicles.
The recipients of Tuesday’s donations were identified through a rigorous search that involved input from a variety of the city’s departments, said Assistant City Manager Miguel Figueroa.
The gesture was a reflection of the city’s commitment to its citizenry, and in particular those who are less fortunate, he said.
“It is really important for you to know that you are in our thoughts and that we are glad to be able to support you in this manner,” Figueroa told the recipients in Spanish.
Afterward, Figueroa also said that the city is looking forward to continuing its partnership with Republic Services in the future, as especially as the end of the year draws near.
“We certainly would like to partner once again and do the same for Christmas and help out more needy families in Calexico,” he said.