Courtesy photos.
SANTA MARIA — The Santa Maria High School FFA Chapter spread the Holiday Cheer by giving away 50 Christmas Trees and 30 Holiday Hams to students and their families impacted by the pandemic on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
Junior Veronica Garcia DeLeon stated, “My family and I usually go all out for Christmas but this year we haven’t had the motivation. To be chosen to get a free ham and Christmas tree from the Santa Maria FFA has brought back the Christmas spirit that my family and I weren’t experiencing this year. We are extremely and truly thankful to have had been chosen.”
Arroyo Grande True Value Hardware Store-Gambril Family donated the Christmas trees. Agriculture Teacher Clemente Ayon said, “We’re very grateful to the Arroyo Grande True Value Hardware store for stepping up by supplying Christmas trees for our students that have been impacted by the pandemic. When we thanked them for their kind donation, their response was that it was their pleasure to help!” The holiday hams were purchased by the FFA organization.
Students and families who received the trees and hams picked up the trees during the monthly FFA drive thru, according to Agriculture Teacher Shannon Powell. If the families did not have the means to pick up the live Christmas trees, the agriculture teachers will deliver them this Friday, Powell added.
FFA Advisor, Amanda Rodriguez stated, “We are so thankful to True Value for their generosity in providing Christmas to our FFA members. We had several members, and their families express their gratitude at the drive thru by sharing their personal stories with us as they came through. This was definitely an event to remember.”
Agriculture Teacher Kimura Yamamoto stated, “Being able to provide some familiar comforts to our students and their families at this difficult time has been the highlight of the season. We hope that giving away hams will take off some of the financial strain that our members’ families are experiencing and also bring some Holiday Cheer. Being a new teacher in the Agriculture Department, I am constantly inspired by the strength of the Santa Maria community.”
By spreading the holiday cheer this holiday season, Santa Maria FFA members are truly encompassing the FFA Moto of “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve,” Powell said.
