Caller-Times Children's Christmas Appeal: Campaign brightened holidays for needy families

South Texas children in struggling households were able to experience a more joyful Christmas with the help of charitable donations.

The 2021 Caller-Times Children’s Christmas Appeal raised a total of $82,508 — a 4% increase from the previous year's amount.

For the past 48 years, the campaign has helped raise money for thousands of children around the holiday season.

Tiffany Collie, executive director of Odyssey After School Enrichment Program in Rockport, said the organization is happy to participate in the Christmas Appeal to help families in hard times.

"It's important for kids to still see the magic of Christmas, but also to have a community that is giving and wanting to help," Collie said. "It's important for our young kids to see that because when they grow up, they'll remember they were able to celebrate Christmas because the community came together."

Rick Del Bosque, director of Boys & Girls Club of Alice, said he remembers every family helped by the campaign, but holds one memory close to his heart.

"There used to be a mom that would come in with several kids years back," Del Bosque said. "The kids are now older and some of them have become parents and are giving back to the program. I first saw them when they were 10, and now they're grown adults returning the favor. Sometimes you don't see that happen, but we were lucky to experience that."

The children's stories featured this season in the Caller-Times represent thousands who were helped by the Caller-Times Children's Christmas Appeal. The names of the families profiled have been changed to protect their privacy.

Since 1973, the Caller-Times has reported the struggle of needy children and their families during the holiday season. All the money donated to the Christmas Appeal campaign benefits the children; all overhead costs are borne by the Caller-Times, United Way of the Coastal Bend and participating agencies. This year, the Nueces County Record Star and the Alice Echo-News Journal joined the campaign.

Participating agencies include Boys & Girls Club of Alice, Duval County Christmas Committee, the Kleberg County Welfare Department, Nueces County Department of Social Services, the Odyssey After School Enrichment Program in Rockport, Sinton for Youth Inc. and the Purple Door.

DONORS

Here's the list of campaign donors:

In honor of:

• Bobby Bluntzer and our granddaughter

• William D. Bonilla

• Central office staff at Calallen ISD

• Grandparents needing help with children

• Jesus Christ

• My mother Christina

• Clara and Dick Davy

• Ron and Barbara Garland

• Sally and James Gill

• Castroll grandchildren

• Dr. Consuelo Martinez

• Ninfa S. Martinez

• Vic and Marsha Rhoads

• Bacilio and Sylvia Rivera

• Joshua Williams

In memory of:

• Robert M. Addkison

• David Allison

• David Arevalo Jr.

• Xavier, Rudy, Arthur Sr. and Arthur Jr.

• Tim Austin

• Debbie Lynn Barnes

• Wretha Barr

• Aurelio and Rosario Barrera

• Juan and Beltran

• Dominga Benavides

• Leocadia Benavides

• Darlene Bennett

• Bill C. Bernsen

• Maria Bonilla

• Betty Bookout

• Dr. Jack L. Bradshaw

• Barry Brown

• James Brown

• Gene Bruner

• Evalynn Bunk

• Daniel Butler

• J. C. Byles

• Roy and Kim Cage

• Omelia S. Canales

• Major W.W. "Mike" and Irene Carmichael

• Hector Alberto Casares

• Clarissa Chapa-Radke

• Will Charba

• Julio Frank Chavez

• All our precious children

• Yvonne Cobbs

• Marcella M. Collins

• Mike and Melanie Conner

• Amanda Crosby/Rickman

• Dr. and Mrs. Wallace Crozier

• Fred and Ann Curry

• Lorenzo and Doris Davis

• Rosa Lee Day

• Col. Roy E. DeForest, USMC

• Cheri Chamberlain DeGreve

• Victor Dimond

• Anita and Bob Domenick

• Elinor Donnell

• Dean Dreiling

• Mary Rose Dreiling

• Larry Dreyer

• Bert DuBois

• Soledad Dueñas

• John Wesley Dugat

• Randy Eikel

• Ramiro Escobar

• Cheryl Esparza

• F. Javier Falcon

• Jose R. Falcon

• Armengol Farias

• Nicki Davis Fischer

• Carolyn Ganem

• Jr. Oscar Garcia

• Consuelo G. Garcia

• Felipe Tino Garcia

• Fortino Garcia

• L.D. Garcia

• Noe F. Garcia

• Kerre Megan Garrett

• Ella Beth Gibson

• Bertha I. Gilley

• Sr. Felipe Gonzales Sr.

• Jeff Goodman

• Lee Govatos

• Mr. and Mrs. John Govatos

• Percival Grimes

• Jose Guzman Jr.

• Yvette Monica Guzman

• Marty Haibach

• Kathy Hammond

• Joe Harris

• Ross Harris

• Eugene and Kathryn Harrison

• Jane Harvey

• Carle and Fred Heinsohn

• Jim Hensley

• C.W. Herber Jr.

• Paul Hernandez

• Debbie Herrea

• Buddy Herrin

• D.C. Herschap

• James E. Hicks

• Nelson Hidalgo

• Jr. Henry Hilliard

• John C. Hilliard

• Joseph F. Hlavik

• Martha Hlavik

• Henry Houser

• Harriette Howe

• Edith Hubca

• Russ Huebel

• Elia, Nicolas and Celia Huerta

• Dorothy Cabrials Inman

• Jim Johnson

• James and Margaret Kaylor

• Howard and Ida Kennedy

• Jimmy Kessler

• Charles K. Knesek

• Linda and Gary Lanphier

• Marie LeBlanc

• Ralph G. Lerma

• Bob and Rosemary Little

• Arthur and Maria Eugenia Lozano

• Guy Ludvigson

• Karl Ludvigson

• Deanna Lee Lummus

• Sharon Mack

• Tia Maria

• Clyde and Sophie Martin

• Mauricio Rene Martinez

• Ruby Mauch

• Pete and Margaret Mayne

• Edith Daniel McCarty

• Janice Kay McCarty

• Robert Curtis McCarty

• Aline and Francis McDermott

• Bobbie, George, and Larry McLeroy

• Joe M. Melchor

• Edwin Menn

• Orine Menn

• Ruth Miller

• Wilton Miller

• Michael R. Morgan

• Mr. and Mrs. E.G. Morrow

• L. D. Mrazek

• Mr. and Mrs. Munsell

• Ella Sue Nelson

• Steve "Boom Boom" Nikolanci

• Jose M. Nino

• Jane F. Noe

• Kaye O'Bryan

• Chuck Omundson

• My parents

• Family and friends who have passed away in 2021

• Mr. and Mrs. F.C. Payne

• June Pearce

• Travis Peeler

• Margarita G. Perez

• Shay Pierce Jr.

• Amanda R. Ramirez

• Rolando Ramirez

• Robert Ramos

• John Austin Rank

• Jon Paul Reyes

• Rey Reyna

• Jesusa G. Rios

• Charles Ross

• Michael Joseph Salas

• Abel, Cande and Frank Salazar

• Dora, Octavio Sr. and Chaco Salinas

• Edmond Walker Sanders

• Noemi Santana

• Uncle Sarli

• Robert C. Seeds Sr.

• Jo Ann Seevers

• Kathleen Sherwood

• Mr. and Mrs. Gene Smith Sr.

• Dr. and Mrs. Robert Gough Smith

• Juliana and Hart Smith

• Mary Smith

• T.J. Smith

• Mr. and Mrs. Adrian R. Sosa Jr.

• Blaise Soza

• Margie Lee Stephens

• Cdr. Frank Sumney

• Susie

• Steve Thompson

• Tigger

• Celso and Catalina Toscano

• TuTu

• Elia Vann

• Cynthia Diane Vasquez

• Frank and Carrie Veselka

• Doris Denby Waldhelm

• Rev. and Mrs. F.A. Walton

• Sharon H. Walton

• Alena Faith Watson

• Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Whitehurst

• Travis Whitman

• J. Ryan Whittington

• Allen Wiechring

• Bill and Marcia Wilcox

• Chase Wilson

• Ashley Brooke Wise

• Chuck Wise

• Lorna and Decker Womack

• Eudocio E. Ybarra

• Luther Young

• Joseph Zelum

Individuals:

• Chris and Robert Adler

• Lauren Aguirre

• Anju Ahuja

• Sunil K. Ahuja

• Alaniz Family

• Mr. & Mrs. J Alaniz and Family

• Cecilia Anaya

• Amalio and Leticia Anzaldua

• Jim Barnette

• Suzy and Murray Bass

• Sam and Melissa Beecroft

• John and Myriam Bell

• Robin and Gordon Bennett

• Hugo, Laura and Omar Berlanga

• Doris Biffle-Colby

• Kathy and Rob Black

• Mr. and Mrs. John L. Bluntzer

• Phil H . Boeck and Barbie Boeck

• Judith Bowman

• Michael Brewer

• The Brittain Family

• Jan C. Brown

• Julie Bush

• Mabel H. Byrnes

• David and Cindy Cantu

• Cindy Cary

• Dr. John and Nicole Carroll

• Robin and John Kennedy

• Raul and Olga Castillo

• Ricardo Castillo

• Rev. Mark Chamberlin

• Carl and Sylvia Chatelain

• Charlene and John Chesshir

• Milton Cobb

• Kenneth Coleman

• Susan Comer

• Liz and Dale

• Abbey Cook Graham

• Joy and Don Cramer

• Betty and Ray Cross

• Manuel Cuellar Jr.

• Becky and Marty Davis

• Marilyn J. Dazey

• Don and Carol DeLine

• John and Dorothy Drew

• Elizabeth DuPont

• Dr. and Mrs. Jose Duran

• Ricky Elizondo

• Valentin Elizondo

• Phyllis M. Farmer

• Ricardo Favela

• George and Phyllis Finley

• Ada Weil Fish

• Harry and Sandy Foley

• Molly Fritts

• Conrado and Melva Garcia

• John and Sandra Garcia

• Alicia S. Garza

• Maria L. Garza

• June A. Gildersleeve

• Sally and James Gill

• Sally L. Goldston

• Gil Gomez Jr.

• Leonard and Mary Gonzales

• Steve

• Mary Lou Gunn

• Dr. Mary Jane and Bob Hamilton

• Emmett and Nora Faye Harris

• Patricia A. Harris

• Lonnie N. Harvey

• Fred W. Heldenfels III

• Ken and Laurel Herring

• Josephine T. Herro

• Kathryn O. Hooper

• Carlos Huerta

• Mike and Nan Hughes

• Bill Huie and Melissa Haddad

• Tom and Dollie Hunt

• Patricia Ann Isaacson

• Norma J. Janice

• Gary Jeffress & Rhonda Bergey

• Nick and Maria Jimenez

• Colleen Johnson and Brian Miller

• Johnson Family

• Mark and Jeri Johnstone

• Janice Jones

• Judy Jordan

• Harold and Karen Kane

• Carol and Sammy Kins

• Melvyn N. Klein, Annette G. Klein, Jacqueline Klein Stroyman and Jenna Klein

• Bryan W. Krnavek

• Aaron Lawhon

• Jay and Mary Leal

• Marvin and Robin Leary

• Devah Lebowitz

• Dr. Michael and Donna LeCompte

• Robert Francis Leonard

• Len Leshin

• Estela and Ruben Lopez

• Frank and Jan Luckay

• Antonia Luna

• Wayne Lundquist Jr.

• Robert Lamar McCarty

• Lucy McCracken

• McGee Family

• Linda McGowan

• Semus McGowan

• Mary Ann and John S. McGregor

• Ron and Dylcia McKenzie

• Gertrude Mickan

• Faye and Russ Miget

• Mike and Janet Miller

• Candace and Jim Moloney

• Angela and Paul Montagna

• Ned C. Morris

• Reynaldo and Josefa Narvaez

• Donald K. and Dr. Vickie C. Natale

• Neessen Grandchildren

• Phil Nicholson

• Richard and Gail Ocker

• Dr. and Mrs. James L. Owens

• David J. Paluseo

• Nikki Parker

• Pratiiksha Patel

• Herlindo Pereida

• Roberto Pereida

• Homer Perez

• Kam

• Russell Peterek

• Donald Jay Pichinson

• Barry and Nan Pillinger

• J. Paul Rainey and Kimberli K. Rainey

• Raime Ramirez Sr.

• Roy E. Reed

• Gerry and Bill Reeves

• Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo Regino

• Billy and Becky Rios

• Jordan Robinson-Gates

• Desi and Olga S. Rodriguez

• Judith S. Roseberg

• Phyllis Roseman

• Johnny and Betty Rozypal

• Carmen Salazar

• Orfa Salinas

• Ricardo and Carmen A. Sanchez

• Roberto Sanchez

• Catherine D. Scholl

• Pat Shackelford and John Wood

• John R. Shreves

• Tyler Smith

• Kathleen Ruth Soch M.D.

• Bob and Mary Sorrells

• L-Head Seafood/Bait House

• Enedelia Suarez

• Willa and Charles Thomasson

• H. Durward Thompson Jr.

• Carol Thorpe

• John and Denise Tollefson

• Ben and Flora Trujillo

• Rae H Turnbull

• Carlos H. Valdez Sr. and Consuelo Valdez

• Sanjuanita Vela

• George Wehl

• Jo Vann Weichert

• The Wetz's

• Jim and Silvia Whitworth

• David J. Williams

• Katherine S. Winston

• Glenda Witman

• Kyle Wohlfahrt

• Maeleen Wright

• Lawrence and Carolyn Young

• Charlie and Linda Zahn

• The Larry and Pat McNeil Foundation

• CLK Architects & Associates

• The Estill Foundation

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John Oliva covers education and community news in South Texas. Consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Donations for needy Corpus Christi-area families increased in 2021