SACRAMENTO, Calif. — South Sacramento resident Michelle Perez said as the holidays got closer this year, money got tighter for her and her 16-month-old daughter.
She says they recently moved from Midtown to the Parkway area and her neighbors in both places were friendly as ever.
That's when Perez said she got an idea.
"This was my first time posting [to social media] and asking for help," she said. "I try to have pride and take care of things on my own, but this year I told myself I'd reach out — and when people started reaching out I was shocked."
After Perez made a post to her social media page asking neighbors if they had diapers or baby clothes to spare, Parkway area residents like Jennifer Garibay dropped off multiple boxes of diapers and baby clothes.
Garibay said she was scrolling through NextDoor when she came across the post from Perez.
It was like an SOS on essential items for her baby, Garibay said.
"I couldn't pass it up because our kids have so much and she was only asking for some stuff," she told ABC10. "[Perez] sent me a thank you message. I told my husband and he said he would like to do something more through his company."
With the help of her husband's company, Garibay said they were able to secure about $300 in Visa gift cards for Perez.
"I didn't expect to have such a positive interaction. It was also good that my kids delivered their gift cards. My daughter is 8 and my son is 4, they called it a 'Christmas Miracle' and it pulled at my mom heart," Garibay said.
Along with candy, toys, stuffed animals and more delivered to Perez by other neighbors, including Madison Watson, the South Sacramento mother said she's grateful they could help give her daughter a plentiful Christmas.
"The neighbors who came over were just so sweet," Perez said. "I'm just so grateful."
