A Christmas Miracle in Union City

After news spread of a terrible house fire that displaced 16 people — including five children — just two days before Christmas, community members stepped up to make sure their holiday spirit wasn’t crushed. 

On Christmas Eve, community members from in and around Union City — including many Union City Patch readers — led the charge to donate gifts to the family. Because of the overwhelming response from readers, the Alameda County Fire Department, which was already donating items from their annual toy drive, allowed residents to drop off items to local firehouses by 5 p.m.

Fueled by the Christmas spirit, readers scrambled to get toys, clothes and other gifts for the children.

If you follow Union City Patch on Facebook, then you might have seen how it transpired on this thread.

“This family will need help, not just for Christmas but also weeks and months to come,” reader Beatriz Orozco wrote on a post.

Orozco, along with readers Kelly Ellis, May Bautista and Yvette Gomez rushed to stores to get gifts to the family.

“We could not see these children go without gifts to open,” wrote Claudia Paez, another community member who shared photos of the gifts she purchased for the children.

Fire crews responded to a two-story home on the 3200 block of San Pablo Way around 1:30 p.m. Monday. By the time the blaze was extinguished 30 minutes later, the home and all of the family’s Christmas gifts were completely damaged, said Alameda County Fire Department spokeswoman Aisha Knowles. The family of seven and their nine visiting relatives were displaced. Among them were a 1-year-old girl and four boys ages 1, 5, 7 and 9.

But all was not lost as generous community members made sure the family still had a Christmas.

Though Patch couldn’t make it to the firehouses on Christmas Eve, ABC 7 was on the scene. 

According to ABC 7, one viewer also offered the family a free few nights at the new Hampton Inn at Union Landing.

Watch the ABC 7 report here.

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