Kris Kringle Gift Shop gives much-needed necessities to refugee families

For many refugee families at the South Parc Townhouse community, just making ends meet is difficult.

South Parc Manager Juanita Huertero has set out to try to make the holidays a little easier for her residents by providing the Kris Kringle Gift Shop, which was held after our press deadline Dec. 21 at the Columbus Center.

South Parc residents gathered at the Columbus Center to go through the gift shop and pick out items to help them during the holidays. In addition to Christmas presents and toys, the shop also provided clothes, toiletries and food.

“I love living in the South Salt Lake community,” Huertero said. “People here step up when there is a need and fill it. I know the families living at South Parc appreciate the help.”

This is the third year the gift shop has been running at Christmastime. Huertero said she collects donations throughout the year to give to residents. During the holidays, many groups around the community and outside of it donate items to the residents as well.

This year, the United Way helped with donations, as did a church group from Alpine. The South Salt Lake Senior Center and Columbus Center Library also collected donations for the store. Huertero said the store usually helps between 50 and 90 families and sometimes has enough left over to help other people in the community.

“We appreciate all types of donations; it doesn’t have to be big or expensive,” she said. “We have some families who ask for everything and some who ask for nothing. This is able to help everyone out a little.”

This year the store collected toys, new and gently used clothes, household items like cleaning supplies, hygiene products, and baby items. Huertero said many of the items handed out this year were to new refugee families that had just moved to the area.

Huertero has been helping refugee families for the past nine years at the South Parc complex. She said helping to make sure these families have what they need is just part of the job.

“I see a need and I try to see if I can fill it,” she said. “I don’t think about the good I’m doing, just that somebody needs help.”