Cecelia Ponzini couldn’t contain her excitement Dec. 16 as she welcomed scores of visitors into her home and showed off the rooms filled with giant plastic bags—decorated with a Christmas themed print—loaded with toys donated for local children.
The gathering was both a celebration as well as a distribution operation to deliver the toys to Morgan Hill Unified School District elementary schools. Community leaders—including city councilmembers, MHUSD trustees and longtime volunteers—mingled in Ponzini’s living room of her southwest Morgan Hill home, eating hors d’oeuvres and socializing when they weren’t helping load the toys into waiting vehicles, one school at a time.
This was the third annual toy drive organized by Ponzini and volunteers who support the Edward “Boss” Prado Foundation, which Ponzini founded and of which she is the executive director. The purpose of Ponzini’s toy drive is to keep donated toys in the community by making sure they are delivered strictly to schools that serve Morgan Hill families. All the new toys, clothing and other gifts were collected at various collection barrels around town in recent weeks.
Ponzini said they were able to collect and donate about 125 toys for each MHUSD elementary school. And for the first time this year, the toy drive was able to donate 357 toys to the Mount Madonna YMCA for children in Gilroy.
MHUSD Superintendent Steve Betando noted that Ponzini’s toy drive recognizes that the Morgan Hill community extends outside the city boundaries, as some of the district’s schools—such as Los Paseos in San Jose and San Martin Gwinn—are located outside town but are still benefitting from the charity effort.
“This is an example of what this community is all about, (which is) people want to come together and make sure everybody has a great holiday,” Betando said.
Los Paseos Elementary Principal Jenna Mittleton also attended Ponzini’s toy drive distribution party. She said the effort represents the “holiday spirit at its finest.”
Ivonne Nash, Los Paseos’ Community Liaison, added that such charity is a “very powerful” gesture that makes her job easier.
“It’s not a job; it’s just helping my community,” Nash said.
The Prado Foundation also runs Cecelia’s Closet and Food Pantry, which is open year-round and offers clothing and other basic necessities for local underserved families. For more information about the Prado Foundation and the food pantry, visit edwardbossprado.org.
