Hundreds of toys donated to Fresno families just in time for Christmas

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Each year hundreds of families in need line up at the Mosqueda Center in Southeast Fresno for the annual local toy drive.

This year, volunteers wrapped and handed out over 750 toys.

250 families will now have a little more joy this Christmas- including Carolyn Harris who started going to the toy drive when her children were young.

The last five years she has come back for her grandkids.

"It's gonna help me a lot because I was low on income but it's a blessing for me now, so I am very happy and I am very blessed now." says Carolyn.

Patricia and Joseph are a mother-son volunteer duo.

They are two of about half a dozen founding members of the South east Fresno Toy drive.

For Joseph, giving back is personal, "I was that kid, my twin brother and older brother, we were less fortunate. Like I said, we were extremely poor in money but so abundantly rich in other things, and who would've known that 50-40 years that we would have the opportunity, the enhancement, to give back."

Both have been helping for the last forty years.

What keeps Patricia coming back each year is her faith, "My lord, my father, he blessed me so I can bless others."

Fresno Council Member Luis Chavez has been helping for the last 12 years.

He's a Southeast Fresno native, and is inspired to see the one hundred volunteers that showed up.

"This goes a long ways for our community so that's what this means to me, for us to be able to serve in southeast Fresno some of the areas that i represent are very challenging there is a lot of poverty, crime and gangs so we are trying to do something positive for our community and our children." says Chavez.

With the outpour of support at this event. received this year- founders say they hope this gift of giving continues for many years to come.