Love INC reached its goal of being able to serve 359 children.  

“It was nothing short of miraculous,” Director Stephen Parsons said following a feverish one day of donations coming in the door and over the phone to include the last 169 children that were not covered with gifts or gift cards as of Monday night.

Parsons said it appeared that the last minute donations will cover all of the underprivileged children from throughout the Manteca Unified School District that were assigned to them in the form of Christmas wish list scrolls.

“It just happened so fast as people walked through the door all day long with cash and checks in their hands to help us with our ministry,” Parsons said after a story appeared in the Bulletin Tuesday indicated 169 children would go without Christmas gifts unless they received help by 5 p.m. that day. They are now able to cover the need after eight hours of non-stop generosity of Mantecans opening their wallets and hearts.

Others called on the telephone ensuring that we had enough gifts for all the children whose parents will them drive through the parking lot of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday night, he said.

Parsons said they can deliver the gifts at a rate of nine every 15 minutes in the drive through operation staffed with volunteers.  Each child and their parents have been interviewed and given a coded card to guarantee they receive the appropriate present.

“We are not finished, still having a lot of paper work to do in confirming that the kids are in place and their gift cards are in place,” Parsons added. He commended the Manteca Bulletin for its story on their Christmas need as being responsible for the last minute reaction to the shortage.