Page 4 - Christmas Tab 2017 e-edition

4 Christmas 2016 December 6 & 7, 2017 HED: Pay it forward; brightening children’s Christmas
Karina Vargas/Mid Valley Publishing
With the help of donations, Isabelle “Belle” Gonzales was able to purchase Christmas gifts for foster children at Transitions Children’s Services.
‘I don’t want anything, I just want to get other kids something,’” Gonzales said.
Cepeda got in touch with a friend who worked for a Child Protective Services (CPS) agency, who then put her in contact with Brian van Anne, Transitions
By Karina Vargas
Children’s Services CEO.
Transitions Children’s Services sent Gonzales several
Mid Valley Publishing
ornaments that included the child’s name and age, and three wishes.
More than 70 foster children’s Christmas will be merrier this year.
e rst year, Gonzales got her softball team involved and decorated about 15 ornaments. e second year, that number doubled.
Fifteen-year-old Isabelle “Belle” Gonzales partnered with Transitions Children’s Services – an organization dedicated to the safety, permanence and well-being of children in foster care – so foster children can receive a gift on Christmas day.
is year, she initially received 40 ornaments, and with the help of friends and family she’s now at 70.
Gonzales’ mission started four years ago when her softball equipment was stolen before a game.
When she rst started she wanted to focus on children her age.
“We were at tournament. I left my stu in the car and we went to watch a game. When I came back to get my stu , the bag was gone,” she said.
“ is year the youngest is seven months old and the oldest is 20 years,” she said.
at day, she had taken all her equipment – worth about $1,500 – and was unable to play.
She has given some out to friends and family but was able to decorate and shop for some of them herself.
Her mom, Margaret Cepeda, worked doing referrals at a private doctor’s o ce at the time.
With the help of donations from Parlier Rotary and Wally’s Collision Repair in Reedley, Gonzales was able to do some Christmas shopping.
She remembers talking about the incident with her coworkers.
With the holiday sales she was able to stretch that money and purchase things such as tablets, penny boards, control remote cars, playhouses among other things.
“I went back to work and let my coworkers know what had happened and they let the doctor know,” Cepeda recalls. “She found out what happened to Belle and she called me into the o ce one day and she gave me a Dick’s Sporting Goods gift card.”
“ is year there’s kids that wanted tablets and with Black Friday coming up, we were able to get ve,” Gonzales said.
All Doctor Gaylene Soloniuk-Tays asked was for Gonzales to “pay it forward.”
“For the older girls, she got wallets and then she put gift cards in there,” Cepeda said.
Gonzales saw the perfect time for this when Christmas time came around.
Gonzales plans to continue to do this every year.
“My mom asked me ‘what do you want?’ and I said,
See Pay It Forward, Page 5
So far, Gonzales has received more than 70 ornaments.
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