Christmas dinner and gifts for Mayfield tornado survivors
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Mayfield, Ky. (KFVS) - Santa’s Workshop came to life in Mayfield, Ky. as a nonprofit wanted to make this Christmas special for tornado survivors and their families.
“I never imagined being like this in this moment, but I’m thankful,” Diana Lopez said.
Lopez and her family are picking up extra gifts this Christmas.
“They are surprised, they are like in a wonderland, toys of wonderland,” Lopez said.
Just two weeks after parts of her home was damaged in the Mayfield tornadoes. All courtesy of Operation BBQ Relief, a nonprofit organization for disaster relief.
“I thought it was just going to be in and out. I didn’t know they were going to be so nice and kind and helping us a lot,” Lopez said.
CEO, Stan Hays, said they usually just give away food, but this time they wanted to more than a warm meal.
“We met families the last few days that came here and didn’t have anything and left with bicycles, left with toys so there was going to a gift underneath that tree,” Hays said.
In fact, families have thousands of toys, and clothes to choose from.
“I would guess there is more than 5, 6 thousand toys sitting up on this stage. I know we counted 250 coats from toddler coats all the way up to 3x,” said Hays.
There’s also endless food. The relief’s head of Culinary, Bryan Mroczka, shared they have volunteers from all across the country.
“What we’re able to do here with the food and all of our supporters and friends of OBR, that have given all these gifts and gift cards, it’s amazing,” said Mroczka.
Lopez said despite this year’s circumstances, she could not have imagined a better Christmas.
“I’m just happy, seeing my kids happy, I’m happy” said Lopez.
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