Thread: Christmas Heartbreaker...

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffo ... 9384.story

Central Islip girl's eloquent letter to Santa pays off
BY KEITH HERBERT | keith.herbert@newsday.com
7:04 PM EST, December 24, 2008


Amanda Campos, 8, hugs Santa in front of her home in Central Islip. (Newsday Photo / Robert Mecea / December 24, 200


The 8-year-old girl's three-page letter to Santa Claus was in Spanish.

After some effort to get it translated into English, [not going to be too difficult in a couple more years..trust me! ] her prose motivated members of the Central Islip Fire Department to action.

"This Christmas, I feel very sad," wrote Amanda Campos of Central Islip. "Because my family doesn't have money."

Amanda dropped off her letter Tuesday afternoon at the volunteer company's firehouse on Carleton Avenue. Her grandmother, Betty Bonilla, who was with her, was crying, said Phil Falco, a first assistant chief of the fire department, who said he heard about the letter from a dispatcher.
After reading the letter, members of the fire company started collecting money to buy Christmas gifts for the girl and members of her family, Falco said.

Amanda's family lives within walking distance of the firehouse, and Falco said he figures Amanda associated the firehouse with Santa Claus because the fire company on Sunday escorted Santa around town on one of its fire trucks. "We all got together and worked it out," Falco said.

Firefighters raised money on their own and purchased food for a Christmas meal. They also used money collected by Fatty McGee's Pub in East Islip; Bravo Supermarket in Central Islip donated food; and security officers who work for Newsday also contributed, Falco said. Presents for Amanda, her two brothers and two cousins were purchased, along with gift cards so that Amanda could give gifts to her parents and grandparents.

Amanda's mother lost her job, and her father works but "doesn't make enough to make it," Falco said.

All the effort came together in about five hours on Tuesday, Falco said, mostly because of Amanda's handwritten words, which included more than just a Christmas wish list.

"Thanks Santa," Amanda wrote. [In Spanish]
"Because God gives good health to me."

On Christmas Eve at about 4:30 p.m., Santa arrived in front of Amanda's home, riding a red fire truck instead of a sleigh. He delivered presents, include video games, DVDs and a new DVD player. [Too bad it wasn't an ICE van!]
"It makes me feel good," said Amanda, a second-grader at O'Neill Elementary School. "My brothers, they don't always have toys."
[Boo-F'ing Hoo..I know a lot of kids that aren't getting toys this Christmas! Maybe your El Presidente Caulderon can give you some! ]

As the economy heads south, more and more American children will only be getting a couple of presents for Christmas. I the number of gifts we gave our little guy this year because of his attitude about giving gifts to others. He wanted everything for himself. My husband and I went through the fortune of stuff that we had gotten him, picked out 6 gifts and donated the rest to the children of soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. The children of our heroes deserve extra for their sacrifices, not the children of illegal criminals who can't even be bothered to learn our language.



(Oh, for those wondering, we did this last week, the little guy never even knew. Guess what, he didn't even miss the extra couple of dozen toys this morning either)

Christmas shouldn't be about stuff from China.

Dixie

I wonder how many sad letters will be dropped off at the firehouse next year? Why the firehouse, does Santa pick up his mail there? Really. What a unique begging idea.

Originally Posted by Dixie

Christmas shouldn't be about stuff from China.

Dixie

Or Mexico!

"This Christmas, I feel very sad," wrote Amanda "Because my family doesn't have money."

This is many American's story too!

These people whine, b*itch and moan and everyone thinks its their job to drop everything, bend over backwards and then run out and get them everything they "wish for" so they'll feel accepted and loved....(sob) (sniff) What's wrong with Americans these days? They don't have enough sense to realize they are being used and played like a fiddle!! As Terry Anderson says every week, "Stupid People of America!!!"That's why these illegals come here. They know we'll take care of their every little need and want and jump higher when they DEMAND more.

I got one for ya all.

A couple weeks ago my kids (who both go to the same elementary school) brought home a flyer from the school begging other parents to pitch in for a family who it going through some "hard times" this Christmas.
Then, lower down the page we noticed there were SIX kids and they were all about a year apart ranging in age from about 8 to infant! When I read this I thought "who in the hell besides an IA has this many kids anymore???" After absorbing this info, my first thought was NO WAY.

Sorry, I know these kids didn't ask to be born, but I just can't "bail out" these people anymore! It made me sad that I felt this way, but thats where Im at now. Frustrated and growing colder to "plight" of poor people who come here, squirt out one anchor after another and then whine to anyone who will listen about how broke they are! Im just DONE with it.