BRITTANI HAMM | staff writer
photo | BRITTANI HAMM
Junior global studies major Amber Oda helped take care of kids upstairs while their parents shopped downstairs.


The Christmas store provide a bit of Christmas cheer.

The Christmas Store, a place where parents from low-income households could purchase affordable presents for their children, was held for one night only on Sunday, Dec. 2 at First Presbyterian Church with the combined help of APU students and Azusa parents.

The MAS office continued the idea for the store from last year as an alternative to Adopt-a-Family or a toy drive based on a concept from the book Beyond Charity.

“[The book] talked about how much more significant a gift is from a parent rather than from a stranger, how that affects family structures, and how you can basically build a family up rather than just give them toys,” junior nursing major Leah Butts said. “We know it’s significant for the families we work with because Christmas is so expensive. I really hope that they keep it going.”

Azusa residents could purchase gifts for approximately 80% of their original cost. This means gifts typically ranged from $1 to $5.

“The prices of the toys are really cheap,” five-year Azusa resident Flaca Rodriguez said. “It’s good for the community.”

Toys, such as skateboards and Disney princess dolls, alongside a few classics like Candyland and Mr. Potato Head, were set up on tables in the lower portion of the church. Parents were given a bag that they could fill with toys for their children.

“The point isn’t to make money,” Butts said. “By allowing them to buy toys, it gives them a sense of putting something into it, it’s truly theirs. You’re not just giving them things.”

The participants are all families from the various Azusa ministries, including Cerritos Kidz, A-Town Kids, and Peach Factory. APU students sent the children from their ministries home with flyers advertising the event.
“I didn’t come last year,” six year resident Selina Garcia said. “[This year] I’m buying toys for my kids and my nephews and nieces.”

This year, the MAS office made it one of the project’s goals to advertise the event more on APU’s campus as well as in the community.

“We just tried to get more toys and we’ve invited a lot more people,” senior political science major Nancy Higson said. “Now that [community members] know what it is and now that they know that we really do have good toys at good prices, a lot more people [came].”

This year’s six parent/volunteers were women who live in Higson’s apartment complex and have children in the Cerritos Kidz program. They were all paid $10 an hour to help work in the toy store.

“It is very important for me to help, because I live with these parents. [I volunteered] so that everyone in my area will be able to have a better Christmas,” four year Azusa resident and second year volunteer Kathy Herrera said.

Another parent volunteered to help teach her son the spirit of giving.

“I [wanted] to participate because I’m teaching my oldest son to learn to share with others,” 11 year resident Liliana Garcia said. “He [needs to] learn so when he’s older, [he can] share with others with less opportunity. I want to teach him to respect the people around him.”

The money that is made from the store pays the Azusa parent/volunteers, and the rest goes back into the community through the different programs of the MAS office. Left over gifts will be given as Christmas presents to kids involved in the ministries by a student dressed as Santa.