I’LL EXPLAIN IN A FEW MINUTES. BACK TO LISA AND MATT. >> Matt: IT’S BEEN A VERY MESSY
DAY OUTSIDE.
CHIEF METEOROLOGIST TOM
SORRELLS, THANK YOU FOR GETTING
US THROUGH IT.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> Lisa: MATT, YOU KNOW AS A
PARENT IT CAN BE A LITTLE
STRESSFUL DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
>> Matt: CERTAINLY.
>> Lisa: IMAGINE IF YOU HAVE
SEVEN CHILDREN TO TAKE CARE OF
OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
NEWS 6’S MIKE HOLFELD MET ONE
MOM WHO IS SO RELIEVED TO KNOW
SHE’LL HAVE A GIFT FOR EACH ONE
OF HER CHILDREN THIS YEAR.
>> Reporter: IT WAS A DAY DID HE
SAY -- DESTINED FOR EMOTIONS OF
JOY.
THIS WOMAN HAS SEVEN CHILDREN.
OUTSIDE HER FRIEND TELLING NEWS
6 WORDS CAN’T DESCRIBE WHAT THIS
DAY MEANS FOR HER.
THEY SHARED PHOTOS OF THEIR
CHILDREN WITH US.
THE FACES THAT WILL NOW LIGHT UP
BECAUSE OF A JOINT EFFORT
BETWEEN NEWS 6 AND THE SALVATION
ARMY CALLED ANGEL TREE.
>> WE’RE THE DELIVERY SYSTEM
THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF OUR
COMMUNITY.
>> Reporter: THE NEWS 6 GENERAL
MANAGER JEFF HOFFMAN SAYS THIS
DAY IS SO SPECIAL.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> IT’S THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THE
DONATIONS WHO MADE THE
DIFFERENCE.
>> Reporter: A WAVE OF 500
VOLUNTEERS WORK SHIFTS TO KEEP
THE GIFTS FLOWING.
EACH GIFT CREATING A CONNECTION
FOR A FAMILY THEY NEVER KNEW.
UNTIL TODAY.
THE SCOPE OF THIS EVENT IS
OVERWHELMING.
3,000 CHILDREN, 1,000 SENIORS
RECEIVING GIFTS.
AND THAT MAKES THIS THE BEST
CHRISTMAS OF ALL.
GETTING RESULTS, MIKE HOLFELD,
NEWS 6.
>> Lisa: IT NEVER GETS OLD,
HEARING THOSE STORIES AND SEEING
ALL THE JOY AND THE GRATITUDE
AND THE SIGHS OF RELIEF FROM ALL
OF THESE FAMILIES.
IT’S THE EPITOME OF THE SPIRIT
OF GIVING.
>> Matt: IT’S A COOL THING TO
SEE.
WHILE EVERYTHING IS SMILES AND
JOY INSIDE THE BUILDING, FOR
SOME FOLKS IT’S DIFFICULT JUST
TO GET HERE.
NEWS 6’S GINGER GADSDEN IS
INSIDE THE JOY CENTER WITH US
AND SHE TELLS US ABOUT A WOMAN
WHO HAD A REAL JOURNEY JUST TO
GET HERE TODAY.
>> Ginger: THE THING THAT YOU
LEARN HERE AT THE JOY CENTER IS
THAT EVERYONE HAS A STORY AND
EACH IS UNIQUE, RIGHT?
SO I LOVE THAT THAT MOM OF SEVEN
WILL HAVE GIFTS FOR HER KIDS FOR
CHRISTMAS.
I MET A WOMAN WHOSE NAME IS
JANE.
SHE HAD QUITE A JOURNEY TO GET
HERE.
SHE TOOK A BUS AND GOT LOST.
AND GETTING LOST WAS JUST PART
OF HER STORY THAT BROUGHT HER
HERE TODAY.
SHE HAS FOUR KIDS AND LOST HER
JOB AND THOUGHT HER KIDS WOULD
NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE A CHRISTMAS
AT ALL.
SHE’S HAD SO MANY SETBACKS.
TODAY WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE HER A
SET-UP TO A MERRY CHRISTMAS.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> I WAS LIKE, I DON’T GET STUFF
LIKE THAT.
THEY WERE LIKE, NO, THIS IS
YOURS.
IT’S A HARD SITUATION FOR ME AND
MY KIDS RIGHT NOW.
TO KNOW WHEN THEY SEE THIS,
THEY’RE GOING TO BE -- NOTHING
ELSE MATTERS.
SO THEY REALLY HELPED ME AND MY
FAMILY TO ENJOY CHRISTMAS
BECAUSE WITH MY SITUATION, IT
WAS PROBABLY GOING TO BE A SLIM
CHRISTMAS.
>> Ginger: I HAVE SOMETHING ELSE
I WANT TO GIVE YOU.
THE SALVATION ARMY WANTED ME TO
GIVE YOU THESE TWO GIFT CARDS.
IT’S A VISA GIFT CARD AND ONE TO
ROSS, JUST FOR YOU, SO YOU COULD
HAVE MAYBE SOMETHING FOR
YOURSELF.
>> OH, MY GOODNESS.
>> Ginger: BECAUSE MAMA NEEDS
SOMETHING, TOO, RIGHT?
>> WE SHOULD.
OH, LORD, THIS IS A LOT.
IT’S REALLY HARD FOR ME AND MY
KIDS.
THIS JUST MAKES MY DAY AND
ULTIMATELY MY BOYS’ DAY.
IF I JUST LEFT WITH THE BIKES,
IT’S MORE THAN WHAT THEY WERE
GOING TO HAVE.
SO I’M JUST VERY APPRECIATIVE.
>> Ginger: MERRY CHRISTMAS.
>> THANK YOU, MERRY CHRISTMAS.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
>> Ginger: YOU TOO, HONEY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Ginger: YOU GUYS WHO ARE
WATCHING, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE
THAT THAT’S WHAT YOU DID.
THOSE OF YOU WHO DONATED TO OUR
PHONE BANK AND ADOPTED AN ANGEL,
THAT IS ALL THANKS TO YOU.
WE COULD NOT SAY "THANK YOU"
ENOUGH FOR LETTING JANE AND HER
FOUR KIDS HAVE A VERY MERRY
CHRISTMAS.
I FEEL LIKE SHE’S GOING TO HAVE
A MERRY CHRISTMAS, A HAPPY NEW
YEAR MOVING FORWARD.
IT’S GOING TO BE HER YEAR NEXT
YEAR.
BACK TO YOU.
>> Matt: ABSOLUTELY.
NOT JUST HER.
THOSE KIDS ARE GOING TO HAVE A
FANTASTIC CHRISTMAS.
THAT’S WHAT WE LOVE TO SEE AND
THAT BIG, BEAUTIFUL SMILE.
GINGER GADSDEN, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
>> Lisa: WE’RE MAKING MAGIC
HAPPEN AT THE JOY CENTER.
LOUIS BOLDEN IS JOINING US NOW
AND HE WAS ABLE TO SPEAK TO TWO
MOMS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH A
TOUGH TIME THIS PAST YEAR.
>> THANK YOU AGAIN FOR
EVERYTHING.
>> Reporter: ACROSS THE
SALVATION ARMY JOY CENTER, THERE
ARE GIFTS, VOLUNTEERS AND HAPPY
PARENTS LIKE MICHELLE FRANCIS
WHO WENT FROM LAUGHTER TO TEARS
AFTER GETTING A BICYCLE THAT
WOULD FIT HER GROWING
10-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.
>> GOD BLESS YOU.
>> AND YOU CAME IN TODAY.
YOU WERE SO NICE TO THE STAFF
OVER HERE THAT THEY WANTED TO
MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE
SOMETHING SPECIAL.
>> Reporter: THOUSANDS OF
PARENTS GOT SOMETHING SPECIAL,
INCLUDING THIS MOTHER.
>> LAST YEAR WAS KIND OF
DIFFICULT AND MY KIDS WAS KIND
OF LIKE A LITTLE BIT UNHAPPY.
I TOLD THEM, I SAID I’LL DO
SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT
THIS YEAR.
>> Reporter: THIS YEAR SHE CAME
TO THE SALVATION ARMY AND HIT
THE ANGEL TREE JACKPOT.
THREE BIKES AND THREE BAGS OF
GOODIES, ONE FOR EACH OF HER
CHILDREN.
>> I DID NOT EXPECT TO GET THREE
BIKES.
>> Reporter: SHE HAS THIS ADVICE
FOR OTHER FAMILIES WHO MIGHT
NEED A HELPING HAND.
>> THERE’S PROGRAMS AND PEOPLE
OUT HERE TO HELP PEOPLE.
YOU JUST GOT TO LOOK AND FIND
IT.
>> Reporter: ALL OF THE PEOPLE
WE SPOKE WITH SAY THEY’RE
ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE
PEOPLE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA WHO
ARE HELPING SANTA MAKE CHRISTMAS
A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
GETTING RESULTS, I’M LOUIS
BOLDEN, NEWS 6.
>> Lisa: THANK YOU, LOUIS.
CHANGING A LOT OF LIVES THIS
YEAR.
>> Matt: GOOD STUFF.
SPEAKING OF CHANGING A LOT OF
LIVES, DESIREE WITH UNIVERSAL
NISSAN HYUNDAI, JOINING US NOW.
YOU HELPED 90 KIDS THIS YEAR?
>> WE HELPED OVER 90 FAMILIES IN
THE ORLANDO AREA.
>> Matt: THAT’S FANTASTIC.
WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED TO PUT
TREES UP IN THE DEALERSHIP?
>> WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON BEING A
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED
BUSINESS.
TO PAIR UP WITH THE SALVATION
ARMY ANGEL TREE OPERATION ONLY
MADE SENSE TO HELP THE FAMILIES
IN OUR BACKYARD AND GIVE TO THE
COMMUNITIES THAT GIVE TO US.
>> Lisa: THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
YOU’VE ACTUALLY PARTNERED WITH
ANGEL TREE.
92 FAMILIES, THAT’S A LOT.
YOU WERE TELLING US WHY IT WAS
SO SPECIAL TO WORK WITH ANGEL
TREE.
>> EXACTLY.
SALVATION ARMY ANGEL TREE REALLY
SPOKE TO THE UNIVERSAL NISSAN
HYUNDAI FAMILY BECAUSE OF THE
PERSONAL TOUCH.
YOU’RE ABLE TO CHOOSE AN ANGEL
OFF THE TREE AND KNOW WHO YOU’RE
HELPING, WHAT THEY NEED AND GIVE
THEM WHAT THEY NEED THIS HOLIDAY
SEASON.
THE GIFT OF GIVING BRINGS OF
SENSE OF WARMTH DURING THE
HOLIDAY SEASON.