BOCA RATON, Fla. — On Tuesday, Santa didn't use a sleigh to deliver toys. He arrived in a truck to drop off hundreds of gifts in Boca Raton.
"They're very grateful for the program, they're excited to be here, they weren't expecting it, so they were surprised when a worker asked them to come out," said Macarena Morales-Fuentes, a local mother.
WATCH BELOW: Group home receives hundreds of holiday gifts for children
The toys were donated by Florida Panthers fans when WPTV partnered with the team to collect toys for our Season of Hope campaign before the team's game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 26.
The gifts were delivered to HomeSafe, a Palm Beach County group home that dedicates itself to protecting families who are victims of child abuse and domestic violence.
"They don't have the resources; they might be separating from their abuser and from us to be able to provide that, it just makes for a wonderful holiday season for the families," said Matt Ladika, HomeSafe's CEO.
WPTV reporter Kendall Hyde met with the Fuentes family, who, assisted by their translator, told us they utilize HomeSafe's other programs, including its growing smart program.
That program helps families for the first two years of a child's life and monitors the kids to ensure they’re developing at the correct rate.
"The information about development has been super important to them because they have been able to apply it to their children as they’re raising them,” said Morales Fuentes.
While the parents have thoroughly enjoyed HomeSafe's services, nobody has enjoyed the toys and family environment there more than the Fuentes kids.
"The children even look at the workers as part of the family. They call her aunt, and they really value that relationship," the kids' father, Carlos Fuentes, said.
