Youths Collect Gifts for Orphans in Mexico

A recent eye-opening visit to Tijuana moved two high school students to start a Christmas project that this week will benefit impoverished orphans in Mexico.

Wendy Ramirez, 16, of West Granada High School, said she won’t forget the children in the orphanage.

“The way I saw them live,” she recalled. “The way they wanted the toys and the way they acted when we would give them toys or candy.”

Wendy and former student Viviana Mejia, 18, had traveled in August to Tijuana to work at La Hermosa Orphanage on behalf of their church, Centro de Viva in Arleta.

They returned determined to make the holidays a little nicer for kids who seemed to delight in so little. At West Granada High, Wendy and Mejia shared pictures of the orphans with classmates. The students quickly decided to collect Christmas gifts for the 45 young residents.

Last week, students piled blankets, canned goods, clothes and toys in a classroom. Pictures of the children, with their names and ages, from 4 months to 15 years old, covered one wall. Each photo was accompanied by a wish for a gift.

Students said they were surprised by the simplicity of the requests. One child asked for school supplies, another for a tea set. Robots, action figures, hand-held radios and the ubiquitous Barbie doll were more popular. “It’s just kind of a nice gesture for kids this age to get involved in,” said teacher Midge Miller.

This week, the Mejia family and Wendy will travel to Mexico to deliver the gifts in person.