Sydnee Navarro has helped make Christmas wishes come true for 60 kids and their families staying at the three HOPE Family Shelters.

On Monday the 17-year-old Manteca High junior who is also the reigning Miss Manteca delivered two carloads of gifts and other items to the shelters that serve over 280 people a year, most of whom are children.

“Sydnee has a heart for our families,” noted HOPE Ministries Executive Director Cecily Ballungay.

For the past six years — since she was a sixth grader at Woodward School — the daughter of Jae and Jane Navarro has adopted the HOPE Family Shelters at Christmas.

It started — and continues — as a Manteca Youth Focus service project. The non-profit is a scholarship organization rooted heavily in community service that bestows numerous titles on youth such as Miss Manteca.

Sydnee said her mother noted that there could be fellow students in her school that are homeless. That prompted her as an 11 year-old to further look into HOPE Ministries that has a shelter for families, a shelter for single mons with kids, and transitional housing. Based on what she learned, Sydnee decided to do what she could to help.

At first she originally thought she’d be doing a books, bears, and blankets drive for kids staying at the shelters. But when she learned of the need for other items such as toiletries and clothing she quickly expanded the effort.

This year’s effort was the sixth annual Giving Tree effort Sydnee has staged.

As in previous years, she meets with the shelter staff to gathers the residents’ wish lists.

She then makes the tags for the Giving Tree, puts the tree up and places the tags on it, sends out emails and flyers garnering support, goes shopping, collects and sorts the gifts, and prepares the gifts for delivery.

The Giving Tree is placed in a Stockton office building that houses Delta Health Systems, VG Capital Financial Services, and Allstate Insurance. Employees from all of the firms — as well as family and friends — take tags from the tree to fulfill Christmas wishes.

Socks and blankets were collected by her brother Connor who is a freshman at Manteca High.

In addition this year, Delta Health Systems held a raffle for a lighted "Rudolph" Christmas decoration handmade by one of its employees and they purchased holiday ornament grams, which generated $350 that was also donated to the shelters.

The Giving Tree is in addition to various drives Sydnee coordinates throughout the year benefiting the shelters.  Toiletries, household goods, clothing, and back to school items are among the donated items. 

 Over the years, she has raised well over $2,000 by selling loom band bracelets and chocolate chip cookies that she has personally made. That is in addition to a social media campaign via Facebook.  For the Giving Tree alone, over 300 people have received gifts because of her efforts.

Sydnee said friends and classmates have stepped up as well helping to support the homeless shelters through endeavors that she hopes to expand even more in the coming year.

Sydnee noted it would be impossible to make the impact that The Giving Tree project does without a lot of people stepping up to help.

Her mother Jane said the community service project and her deep commitment to it “has shaped her to be the young lady she is today.”

That young lady is a straight “A”, Manteca High volleyball player, and a member of the City of Manteca’s Youth Advisory Commission in addition to serving as Miss Manteca.