ORLANDO, Fla. — Every nook and cranny of Ronnie LaValle’s Re/MAX office is in use for wrapping present after present. Each a gift for someone she has never met before.
LaValle, along with realtors from three different Re/MAX offices, FBC Mortgage, and Leading Edge Title, came together to purchase, wrap and deliver hundreds of toys and gifts for families who have fallen on tough times.
Drawing from personal experiences, LaValle spearheads the initiative, saying her mother was placed in foster care after her grandfather was abusing her grandmother. Then in 2008, as a single mom, LaValle found herself in tough times during the holidays.
“My girls were in elementary school, and back then the PTA, we took some names of people who needed help for Christmas time,” LaValle begins to say while wrapping presents. “I though, was one of those people that needed presents.”
During that time, LaValle served as president of the PTA of her daughter’s school. That PTA stepped up to give LaValle and her daughter’s a full Christmas.
“I don’t know what I would have done,” LaValle says. “It is embarrassing, especially when you feel bad because you don’t think you need as much as somebody else.”
But that was in her Christmas past. Her Christmas present is now ensuring families don’t need to stress about their Christmas future. LaValle and colleagues now deliver what may feel like a Christmas miracle to some.
“We started registries with each list, for mom, dad and all the kids and they went crazy,” LaValle says, showing different shopping lists. “Buying everything on the registries, and we bought more than what was on the registries.”
She and several others, hoping to deliver several Christmas miracles, or at least some presents to put under the tree.