![\"TSTC](\"http:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/TSTC-Toys-for-Tots-Delivery.jpg\")
<\/a>ulty and staff for the TSTC NINOS Early Head Start, NINOS Head Start, and TSTC student housing families.<\/p>\n\u201cFor some of the children, this is the only gift they\u2019re going to receive this Christmas,\u201d said Patty Flores, Support Services coordinator. \u201cIt makes us extremely happy being able to help these families.\u201d<\/p>\n
For students like Esquivel, this event is a huge help for her family, especially with her husband\u2019s recent layoff.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband and I are not in the position to give our daughter the Christmas she deserves. It\u2019s going to be a very low-key day for us,\u201d said Esquivel. \u201cBut events like this help her feel included and cheers her up.\u201d<\/p>\n
At every Toys for Tots event the children receive a wrapped toy from Santa Claus and get to take a picture with him, while sharing their Christmas wishes. They also get to enjoy holiday snacks such as hot chocolate, punch, cookies and pizza.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis event is only possible because everyone at TSTC cares,\u201d said Flores. \u201cThis is great experience for these children and I want to thank everyone who works hard to make it possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flores said they have already began preparations for next year\u2019s TSTC Toys for Tots.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt always puts a smile on our faces when we see the children excitedly wait for their gift and the chance to speak to Santa,\u201d said Flores. \u201cThis is something that was started before I even got to TSTC, and it\u2019s something we hope to continue doing for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for Esquivel, she is very thankful to TSTC and all of the volunteers who host this event for the children.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband and I are truly grateful and thankful for what TSTC does for not only our daughter, but the other children,\u201d said Esquivel. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult as a parent not being to do a lot for your child, but TSTC never leaves us alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
To donate a toy or to volunteer call 956-364-4520.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(HARLINGEN) – Six-year-old Isabella Esquivel has been anxiously counting down the days for a special visit from Santa Claus at Texas State Technical College\u2019s annual Toys for Tots event. Her mother and TSTC Agricultural Technology student Montserrat Esquivel said this is something her daughter looks forward to every year. \u201cShe uses her Advent calendar to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-harlingen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1146"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1146\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1148,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1146\/revisions\/1148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.tstc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}