For O.C.’s Needy, Gifts of Cheer and Hope

Drew Ingram remembers last Christmas with a grimace. With bills mounting and virtually no money for gifts, the single mother spent a joyless holiday worrying about her financial situation, sharing Hamburger Helper and little else with her three children.

This year, though, thanks to an influx of cash, food, clothing and toys from Orange County residents, Ingram has reason to celebrate. With a donated Christmas tree, her bills paid off and kitchen cupboards filled to overflowing, Ingram says she will spend the holiday contemplating her blessings and delighting in her children’s excitement over an array of donated gifts.

“It’s really wonderful,” Ingram says. “My kids are going to have the best Christmas they’ve ever had. And the nicest thing for me is knowing I’m going to pay my [January] rent before Christmas.”

Since November, when The Times published profiles of the Ingrams and other needy families as part of a series of stories on poverty in the county, hundreds of residents have rallied to their support, sending donations of cash, food and clothing, paying off their overdue bills, and offering a variety of other assistance.

For two households--the Ingrams in Irvine and Constantino, Berta and Nely Antonio in Costa Mesa--the help has been so generous that the recipients’ lives have improved dramatically--at least for now. Both families hope the changes will endure, allowing them, as Drew Ingram said, “to make a fresh start” toward a brighter future.

Already, Ingram has used some of the money donated to her family to get ahead on her bills, finally breaking a devastating cycle that had forced her to pay late fees every month.

No longer does she worry that she will run out of food before payday; her family has been given enough canned and packaged goods to last at least six months. Elsewhere in her kitchen, a used, working refrigerator--donated by employees of a Santa Ana computer company--has replaced the old one that worked irregularly at best.

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With help from a South County woman who anonymously paid the family’s overdue $175 phone bill, Ingram also has managed to restore her telephone service, which was disconnected in July. She has paid back relatives who have helped her with small loans during tough times.

And with the cash and gift certificates she received, she has been able to add small touches--place mats, a throw rug, sheets and towels for the boys--that make their two-bedroom apartment feel more like a home.

All told, the family received more than $3,200 in cash and gift certificates, as well as food, clothing, toys and other gifts worth hundreds more. While much of the cash is already spent--an emergency car repair two weeks ago gobbled more than $400--Ingram says she hopes and believes she has been given enough of a financial boost to stay slightly ahead.

One contribution came from a group of Newport Beach Indian Guides, their fathers, one mother and a handful of younger siblings, who arrived at the Ingrams’ door on a recent night laden with gifts, food and a Christmas tree.

A short time later, Ingram gazed across her small living room at the boisterous kids, the twinkling, decorated tree and three stockings that spelled out the names of her boys: Jonathan, 11; David, 6; and Patrick, 2.

“This is just so incredible,” Ingram told Shelley Elam, the Corona del Mar mother whose idea it was to help the family. “It’s hard to believe that anyone would do this for us.”

But it was not until a few days ago that the dramatic change in her family’s circumstances really hit home, Ingram said.

A nonprofit agency that has assisted the Ingrams in the past called with an offer of a Christmas gift and food basket. This year, Ingram said, she felt grateful to be able to decline. She suggested that the gifts be passed on to a needier family.

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The Antonios, who share a two-bedroom Costa Mesa bungalow with nine other people, are enjoying their holidays in the hope that the new year may hold a better-paying job for Constantino Antonio, a landscaper, and a more stable life for them all.

Already, the entire household has been “adopted” by about 160 employees of the Sam’s Club store in Fullerton.

On Saturday, several employees dropped off boxes of food, clothes, toys and a Christmas dinner basket at the family’s home, store spokeswoman Lillie Guzman said. Perhaps most significant, the store employees brought along a job application for Constantino Antonio.

Although the store currently has a hiring freeze, the application will be kept on file and considered with others if a job becomes available, Guzman said.

“We’ve informed him about our company and what jobs may be available that he can apply for. We also have a store in Irvine and will forward a copy of the application there and let the managers know who this person is,” she added.

Constantino Antonio, who earns $250 a week, said even the possibility that he may be considered for a job that offers stability to his family kindles his hope for the future. Earlier this year, his wages were slashed by $150 a week when a new owner purchased the company where he has worked for seven years. Berta Antonio earns $160 a week cleaning houses.

“My hope is to find a job that includes benefits, so my wife won’t have to work as hard as she does, and Nely [the couple’s 5-year-old daughter] can have more opportunities,” he said.

The Antonios, who were reluctant at first to talk about their financial struggles, have been overwhelmed by the response to the story about their troubles. Dozens of Orange County residents sent the family cash donations totaling more than $4,000, along with tickets to fulfill Nely’s dream of going to Disneyland.

“My wife and I still cannot believe that complete strangers would care about us,” said a perplexed Constantino Antonio. “Their generosity is extraordinary. I want them to know that the money they gave us is not going to be spent foolishly. We have never had this much money before at one time, but we are not going to let it control us.”

Family members say they have not yet decided how they will spend the money, but have no immediate plans to move from the cramped bungalow they share with three other families.

Berta Antonio said she hopes to be able to return the act of charity in the future.

“I know in my heart that life will get better for us. I know that as we learn to speak English, my husband and I will be able to get better-paying jobs. When we are in that position, I hope that we will also be able to help people like others have helped us,” she said.

As for Nely’s long-awaited trip to Disneyland, the family plans to visit during Christmas week.

“When I go back to school, I’m going to tell my teacher and all my friends that I went to Disneyland,” Nely said. “Papa is going to buy me something that I can take to school and show them that I went to Disneyland.”