Needy families and homeless enjoy Christmas Posada

The Brown Bag Coalition and Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia reached out to the community this Christmas with a Posada on Friday evening aimed at the needy in Calexico. It was held at the Community Center.

Coalition Co-Founder Maribel Padilla said, “We had our third annual posada and we had people with cancer, we had people homeless, we had senior citizens and 34 families from the Calexico School District low income.”

Padilla said it’s important for the community to rally behind those who are the most vulnerable.

“As some of the kids have told Santa and it makes them cry, because this is the only Christmas that they will have. It’s the only gift that they will have. So, we do this for those kids that don’t have Christmas regularly,” Padilla said.

She said the homeless situation is worsening in the area.

“In the community we have here in Calexico about 125. We had around 50 of them here today,” Padilla said.

She said the coalition is moved by the need they see in the community.

“The only way we do this is with all the donations that we get from the community. Like McDonald’s actually sponsored all the happy meals and they gave us $1,200 to make sure that this got put on,” Padilla said.

She encourages others to reach out to the needy in their area.

“They can call us at 760-997-2140 or you can reach us on Facebook under Brown Bag Coalition.”

Coalition organizers, along with Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia, who donated gifts for the Posada and for other local agencies during the day, as well, said that Christmas is merrier when you give to others.