5K Central Florida families expected on distribution day

ORLANDO, Fla. – Bianca Ortiz, 18, is working to make sure things are perfect for this year’s Angel Tree distribution day.

Ortiz was a Salvation Army volunteer for years and told News 6′s Ezzy Castro that she was an Angel Tree recipient growing up.

“I had no clue. No clue how much work was put into this. No idea. All I knew (was) my mom had presents under the tree,” Ortiz said.

News 6 got a preview of the Joy Center on Wednesday where volunteers have been working for days to make sure everything is good to go for distribution day when 5,000 Central Florida families will be picking up their gifts.

“Yeah, that’s my whole, that’s what my purpose is. Helping out people the way I was helped,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz said she will never forget how happy she was when she saw gifts under the Christmas tree when she was a little girl, all while her mother was trying to make ends meet.

“Never lose hope. As hard as things can be, just don’t lose hope and keep faith with God. Faith is bigger than fear,” she said.

Ortiz said she has been working 9-hour days ahead of Angel Tree Distribution Day but is grateful to have the opportunity to get results for others.

“I do this for joy, I don’t do it for myself. I do it for others,” Ortiz said.

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About the Author:

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!