Nearly 100 volunteers stuff stockings in Phoenix for Chicanos Por La Causa’s holiday events

Even Arizona Cardinals player Roy Lopez joined the Chicanos Por La Causa event to fill stockings for underserved kids.

Nearly 100 volunteers with Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) filled a Phoenix parking lot on Tuesday to pack over 6,000 stockings for the nonprofit’s upcoming holiday events. 

CPLC—one of the nation’s largest Latino nonprofits—will give underserved children the stockings full of candy, snacks, and toys during their three Ángeles del Barrio events happening in Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma on Dec. 7 and 14.

Illana Hamzeh, daughter of former CPLC President and CEO Pete Garcia, volunteered at Tuesday’s event with her employer, Wells Fargo. She’s been involved since the 1980s, when she helped out as a small child alongside her dad. 

Hamzeh said the Ángeles del Barrio event, which is in its 56th year, “allows children in the community to come to a free Christmas party that has been sponsored by many community organizations and companies.”

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“They can have drinks and hot dogs and enjoy music and fun,” she told The Copper Courier, “and I know in the past they’ve flown Santa in from a helicopter—and I think now he comes in on a fire truck, which is really exciting.”

Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Roy Lopez and members of his foundation also volunteered at the event. He said he was there to “share the experience with everybody, share some laughs.” 

Lopez played football at Mesquite High School in Gilbert and at the University of Arizona, and his father is the head football coach at Desert Ridge High School in Phoenix. 

“I’m very thankful for Chicanos Por La Causa,” Lopez said. “We worked with them a few times throughout the past few years and they’ve been a big help for me and my youth camps, and we’re looking to keep growing the connection and keep giving back to our community.”

Alicia Nuñez, president and CEO of CPLC, said she felt a lot of joy as she watched people from around the community come together to make a difference in children’s lives. 

“Just bringing joy to a family in need is, I think, what keeps us going,” she said. 

Nuñez said CPLC offers many volunteer opportunities for locals who may want to get involved, including helping with the organization’s Ángeles del Barrio events, senior center, educational programs, and more. 

CPLC has locations across the state and is also active in California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas.