Operation Blue Star Provides Holiday Meals for La Feria Families

by Tony Vindell/LFN

For five families from the La Feria area, their Christmas got better thanks to the local police department’s Operation Blue Star.

Each received a turkey plus all the staples used in making a holiday meal and gifts for the parents and children.

Accompanied by their children and a few relatives, each family showed up at LFPD on Monday to pick up the items which were bought with money donated by the police officers and other staff.

Police Chief Cesar Diaz thanked the families for showing up to get their holiday packages.

“We are doing things from our hearts,” he said. “We get nothing from this other than the gratification for helping others.”

Diaz said the police officers selected the five families from areas they patrol.

He said last year four families received similar packages.

This time five families were the recipients of the holiday giveaway and the hope is to increase the number by one more each year if it’s possible.

The Ruiz, Saldivar, Sanchez, Acuna and Escamilla families were this year’s recipients.

Lucia Martinez, the matriarch with the Escamilla family, said they were thankful for getting the items donated by the police officers.

“We are eight in our family,” she said. “This is nice.”

Martinez said their trailer on Louisiana Road, off FM 506, got flooded from last June’s downpour and had to be evacuated.

“It’s still empty,” she said. “We have been renting a place by the city cemetery ever since.”