Partnership brings smiles to children 

By Leesa Teale, LPR Publisher                      

Pictured are left, Megan Carvajal, Lockhart Chamber of Commerce and right,De La Cruz of First Lockhart Bank. Photo by Angie Gonzalez-Sanchez.    

On Wednesday, December 10 over 25 volunteers gathered at the First Lockhart Bank’s (FLB) Community Room for their annual wrapping party where presents for over 100 children from 46 families were adorned in colorful holiday paper. 

     Partnering with Community Action, Inc.’s Head Start Program for approximately 13 years, FLB has purchased gifts for families who are enrolled in the program. Even though the program’s focus is on children up to 4 years old, every child 13 and under in the home receives gifts from this partnership. 

     Abel De La Cruz, Vice-President of First Lockhart Bank spearheads the event with a few extra holiday helpers. “We have been blessed to work with Target at Stonecreek Shopping Center in San Marcos. Not only do they give us a $500 gift card to use towards this cause, but they also collaborate with us to make it easy to shop for all the recipients on our list.”

    Once the gifts are purchased, they are brought back to the bank where they are stored, sorted, divided up and bagged until the wrapping party. Once they are wrapped and ready to go, Community Action members pick them up and deliver them to the very appreciative families. 

    Lockhart Chamber of Commerce is also an active partner in the wrapping party as they supply not only the scissors, tape and wrapping paper, but they also bring in some volunteers to help put the final bows on the project. 

    First Lockhart Bank does not take any outside donations to fulfill the program as they fund it completely themselves. “With the donation from Target the amount to purchase all the gifts is approximately $4000,” stated De La Cruz.   “The event is successful every year. It’s great to work for a company like First Lockhart Bank who sees the value in projects like these and the impact that their support has on the community and its citizens,” expressed De La Cruz.