For the past 6 years, Rosy Cervantes, a cervical cancer survivor, has carried out a campaign to collect toys to donate them to the neediest children at Christmas.
“Helping others makes me feel good and fills the void left by not being able to be a mother, due to cervical cancer that I suffered.”
But she also says that this campaign makes her forget about her health ailments such as diabetes and rheumatic arthritis that she faces every day. “I forget about myself to focus on getting the toys.”
Rosy married at 21 years old. When she was 30 years old, she was diagnosed with cervical or uterine cancer, which made it impossible for her to be a mother. He is currently 42 years old and cannot work because he is disabled, due to diabetes, arthritis and other illnesses.
“My husband and I lived in Downey; and we moved to San Bernardino when we bought a house. “
But when she moved to another city, she realized that there were many needy people in her neighborhood, which made her remember what she had experienced years ago.
“When it was the real estate crisis of 2008, my father was dedicated to Real Estate. He did very badly and went bankrupt. We had to go live in cars. Went homeless for 5 years on the streets of Los Angeles ”.
So the experience of not having a roof and not having children convinced her that she should do something.
“I am not a non-profit organization. This campaign IE Community’s Children Christmas Toy Drive, I do it with my family and my aunt Silvia Ventura by looking for toy donors on social networks ”, he said.
He explains that they started with $ 1 toys, but today, they have gotten gifts of up to $ 50. “We already have the sponsorship of 5 companies. With their support and that of more than 20 or 30 donors, this year we are going to deliver more than 600 toys ”.
The cost of each toy was left to what each donor can give. “Many are donating throughout the year.”
She says that she invites donors to come to the toy delivery event to give them to the infants themselves.
“When I invite them to donate, I send them photos of previous events so they see that it is not a scam.”
Rosy says that they do not disclose the place of the delivery of toys, because many are already engaged for people who contact them through social networks.
But those who want a toy can call 909-742-0007. “On the list we have single parents, people who have been affected by covid and who do not qualify for government aid.”
The delivery of toys will be this Sunday, December 12 in the city of Highland.
“A Santa Claus is going to accompany us in the delivery of toys.”
And he hesitates to say that this event gives him a motivation to feel good all year long.
“It makes me forget everything bad about the year like the covid that hit me in October. It was very bad for me, because I have a very weak immune system. Unfortunately, due to the treatment he took against arthritis, they do not advise me to get vaccinated against the virus ”.
Rosy says she wished that when she was a child, she had found people to collect toys to donate to children in need.
“There was no where to ask. With the collection that we make, we change the day of many children”.
Account that each child leaves with a toy, a photo with Santa Claus and this Sunday they will also take a sweet apple that will be given away by a sponsor.
“When I see that there are very needy children, I give them two toys.”
If there are ever toys left over, they save them for the following Christmas.