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Every December, the magic of kindness comes to Jurupa Unified.

Thanks ​​to the efforts of hundreds of generous individuals, students experience hope and joy wrap​ped in selflessness and sincerity.

​Community partners and volunteers support Jurupa Unified School District year-long, but their generosity is especially felt during the holiday season. Non-profit organizations and community volunteers provided fun events such as Christmas in the Classroom, the Jurupa Children’s Christmas Party, Shoes for the Holidays, and the Holiday Food, Toy, and Clothing Drive to make the season more joyful and bright for JUSD students and families. These events are just an example of the beneficence shown by the Jurupa Unified community. 

Filling a Need

More than two-thirds of JUSD students are in need. Partner organizations help to fill that need through generous donations. Students at Mission Bell Elementary School, for example,  received brand-new shoes, socks, and toys and enjoyed a visit from Santa Claus at the annual Shoes for the Holidays event.

This marks the second year that Mission Bell has partnered with donors from the Jurupa Valley community, organized by Ana Flores, Branch Manager at Chino Commercial Bank. Ms. Flores partners with Jurupa Valley businesses and other donors to provide a fun holiday event where 125 students received a brand-new pair of shoes as well as a brand-new toy and a visit from Santa. Ms. Flores partners with the non-profit Shoes That Fit organization to procure the shoes at a discount so that more students can be helped. 

“It fills my heart because it’s an issue close to my heart,” Flores said. “I remember being that child…I know how kids feel when they have a good pair of shoes.”

“Many of our students are wearing shoes that are too small, too big, or falling apart,” said Mission Bell Elementary School Principal Angelena Aguilera “Throughout the year, we are grabbing shoes and socks that we have on hand just to address daily crises. By having an event like this, we can capture many students at once and we know that this pair, at minimum, can get them through a few months of school.”

“Every child deserves to have a pair of shoes that fit,” Ms. Aguilera said. “When our students have the opportunity to wear new shoes, we see the pride they have, and I know personally students have demonstrated excitement over getting shoes rather than toys.”

Joy of the Season

A variety of efforts help bring holiday joy to JUSD families.

The JUSD Charitable Purpose Foundation’s Holiday Food, Toy, and Clothing Drive helped more than 130 families in need with food, new toys, and a thrift shop where they could shop for clothing, household items, stationery, and more all donated by the Jurupa Community. Paula Ford, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, and Jurupa Middle School teacher Rebecca Gomez and her family coordinate the effort each year, along with dozens of student, staff, and community volunteers. 

The JUSD Department of Parent Involvement and Community Outreach partners with numerous organizations to help the community year-long and those efforts are magnified during the holidays. One example is the annual Bicycles for Children build, which provided 127 bicycles for JUSD students. Staff and student volunteers put the bicycles together each year. Organizations such as Machado Family Giving and Jurupa Valley Adopt A Family also help JUSD families.

Meanwhile, several schools are adopted by charitable organizations, such as the Jurupa Children’s Christmas Party and Christmas in the Classroom. 

Brad Hancock has volunteered with the Jurupa Children’s Christmas Party organization for many years and never tires of seeing the joy on children’s faces as they enjoy a visit from Santa, a magic show, and their own special gift. This year, the organization adopted Troth Street Elementary.

“I hope that they…just...know that they’re loved, especially this time of year, and just have a really fun experience with their classmates, and…hoping that they get just that little taste of Christmas joy, Christmas magic.”

The organization fundraises throughout the year to make the special event happen and volunteers spend hours wrapping hundreds of gifts. Hancock is most moved by students who give their time. When he sees a gift wrapped with lumpy, imprecise corners, he knows a child gave of themselves to help someone else. Sometimes those young volunteers benefitted from the event themselves.

“Almost every year, the students that have come back and volunteered, many of them have come back and have said, ‘I was a participant in this party 10 or 15 years ago.’ That just absolutely makes your heart explode.”

Students Helping Others

Many JUSD student volunteers participate in the efforts by collecting food, toys, and other items and volunteering to help with charitable events. 

Patriot High Senior Samantha Hancock joined fellow Leadership Club members at the Jurupa Children’s Christmas Party event at Troth Street Elementary School. 

“There’s nothing that fills me more with joy than just standing up here and listening to the kids sing and them seeing Santa Claus and their reaction when you give them a present,” Samantha said.

A special moment came when a student hugged Samantha.

​“You don’t really realize that something you're doing is having such an impact on a kid like that…but it really could have made her day, could have made her year, you don’t really know,” she said.

“Doing things like this and getting involved in your community  gives you a chance to give back and it also gives you a chance to …step back and realize what you have and be grateful for what you have.”