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Did you know that in the United States alone, 39.7 million people, or 12.3% of the population, are living in poverty? It’s true. Although the United States is considered a highly developed country and has the world’s largest economy based on GDP, millions of Americans struggle to afford Christmas presents each year for their family.

That’s where Christmas in the Classroom comes in. The Chino, CA-based non-profit organization has been collecting monetary donations since 2004 to provide holiday presents for needy children attending Title 1 schools in the Inland Empire.

The founder of Christmas in the Classroom was recently featured in a snippet on KTLA 5 for a brief interview…

The joy on children’s faces drives Maria Vazquez to keep expanding a program she created 13 years ago to hand out Christmas gifts to children in elementary schools serving low-income Inland neighborhoods.

Her nonprofit group, Christmas in the Classroom, was busy this week delivering presents to students at five schools in Jurupa Valley, Fontana and Pomona.

Children at Troth Street Elementary School in Jurupa Valley received their gifts — and a visit from Santa Claus — on Thursday, Dec. 14.

The group collects money to buy toys that volunteers wrap. The gifts then go to children at schools that receive federal Title I money because…

Fall has flown by, which means that winter will soon be upon us. With winter and the cooler weather, comes the long-awaited and anticipated holidays. As the holiday season closes in, thoughts of Christmas trees, colorfully wrapped presents and beautiful red and green lights are likely filling your head. There’s gingerbread house kits in the stores, advertisements for Black Friday and holiday movies begin to stream through your television set. You start to write down your Christmas list, jotting down the names of everyone that you need to purchase gifts for this holiday season. Your children, mother, father, sisters, brothers, cousins, coworkers and friends that are close to your heart likely…

Thanks to everyone who helped us surpass our goals for Christmas giving in 2014.

At the beginning of 2014, we asked for $15,000 in donations to help support our goal of making sure every student in our target schools received a special Christmas gift. You guys met our need and more!

We received $15,274 (102 percent of our financial goal!) plus snacks, wrapping paper, and lots of hours of help from our generous sponsors and volunteer helpers.

Thanks to this generous support, 3,400 schoolchildren from some of the Inland Empire’s poorest Title One elementary schools received a specially wrapped toy plus an even bigger Christmas gift—the love that was shown through a hug from Santa or a smile from one of his…

“Christmas angel” celebrates Christmas in the Classroom’s 10^th year of giving.

Recently, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin’s feature series on “unsung heroes” in the local community recognized Maria Vasquez as a “Christmas angel” for her tireless dedication to making the Christmas season a little brighter for kids in the Inland Empire’s Title 1 schools.

Though Vasquez always insists, “It’s not about me, it’s about the children,” there’s no denying that Christmas in the Classroom wouldn’t exist without her and the many volunteers and sponsors she’s inspired to give to her cause each year.

Vasquez founded Christmas in the Classroom in 2004, after learning from her schoolteacher daughter that the majority of the students in her class were not expecting to receive any…

With the holidays nearly upon us and as you prepare for your celebration, I hope you will consider helping us bring Christmas in the Classroom.  This year continues to be very difficult for many families.  Many parents are still without jobs. This holiday season will be especially trying for the children of these families who, without your help, will not receive a gift for Christmas.

Last year, Christmas in the Classroom was able to provide gifts for over 3,200 children at Juniper and Date Elementary Schools in Fontana, San Antonio Elementary in Pomona, and Troth Elementary School in Mira Loma, California.  These schools are Title One schools which means the majority of the students come from economically-challenged backgrounds.  Santa and…

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Thanks to the local nonprofit Christmas in the Classroom, 3,200 students, the entire student bodies of four Title 1 elementary schools, received a gift delivered to them by Santa.

Last week Maria Vasquez, who founded the 501c3 in 2004, and many of her community elves, traveled to Juniper and Date Elementary in Fontana, Troth Elementary in Corona and Pomona’s San Antonio Elementary helping Santa with his toy distribution.

“This is so wonderful,” said Selene Amancio, principal of San Antonio. “Our students are so excited. For a lot of them this will be the only gift they receive.”

Last Christmas, there was some question if the program would…

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Happy tears dripped down Maria Vazquez’ face as she watched the children clutch their gifts.

For the seventh year Maria, a Chino resident, and her dedicated band of holiday helpers, were hosting Christmas in the Classroom at Fontana’s Juniper Elementary School.

Christmas in the Classroom sprang from Maria’s heart when she learned that so many local children weren’t going to have a very merry Christmas.

“My daughter Melissa was a second-grade teacher here and she asked her students, `how many of you do not celebrate Christmas?’ She was shocked when almost every hand went up,” Maria said.

Melissa was asking out of religious respect, but soon learned that there were other reasons children do not celebrate the holidays.

“They…

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“Look what I got, look what I got,” came the jubilant shouts from around the auditorium at Pomona’s San Antonio Elementary School.

“How did Santa know this was just what I wanted,” said 6-year-old Estavan Juarez, who tightly held his brand new Superman action figure close to his heart.

Hot Wheels, Barbie Dolls, basketballs and light-up fairy wands were just some of the toys Santa brought with him.

By the end of the day all 570 San Antonio students received a gift from their favorite fat man thanks to Christmas in the Classroom, a nonprofit founded by Chino resident Maria Vazquez.

“It’s a Christmas miracle,” said Vazquez, who was able to pull together enough gifts for San Antonio…