Texas First-Grader’s Letter Asking Santa For Food, ‘Blancet’ Yields Donations For Her School

Five stories that have North Texas talking: Texas girl’s letter to Santa goes viral; Harvey pushes one man out of Port Arthur and into a new life; 12 days of unusual Christmas weather; and more.

A South Texas first-grader’s letter to Santa has warmed hearts far and wide.

Crystal Pacheco’s letter read: “I have binde good this day. This Christmas I would like a ball and a food. I need a blancet.”

Ruth Espiricueta, her teacher at Monte Cristo Elementary School in Edinburg, shared the letter last week, saying “it breaks my heart” to hear students ask for things that many take for granted.

Edinburg is located in Hidalgo County, where about 45 percent of the children and nearly 34 percent of its population live in poverty, according to the Washington Post.

Many people felt the same as Espiricueta. A woman named Nashley Garcia from neighboring McAllen brought 20 blankets for students and special gifts for Pacheco the day after Espiricueta posted on Facebook, the Post reported.

Since then, tons of donations have poured in, and the school now has more than 600 blankets with a goal of about 720, KTRKreported Monday. 

Any more beyond that will go to other students and families in need, Espiricueta said in a follow-up post on Facebook. 

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• After the flood: When Hurricane Harvey hit in August, just under 4,000 people sought shelter in North Texas. More than 100 families decided to stay and start a new life. KERA’s Courtney Collins introduces us to a few of those families in our latest series. [KERA News]

• Lamb of God: A dog sentenced to die last month for biting a boy in the face will be spared and be moved to a nonprofit, no-kill shelter in Austin. You might have seen the yellow Labrador in Deep Ellum. [The Dallas Morning News]

• White Christmas: A typical Dec. 25 in North Texas reaches the mid-50s with little-to-no measurable precipitation. But as National Weather Service records show, sometimes the biggest surprise on Christmas Day can be the weather. [KERA News]

• Even more Christmas: Dallas Animal Services is waiving adoption fees.

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