Most of the five children in the Vega family have favorites among the decorations on their Christmas tree.
Taisha, 8, pointed out a glitter-covered sleigh. Her brother, Ramon, 6, said an ornament featuring three snowmen riding on sled is the one he likes best. Part of the reason may be that it is inscribed with his name.
Their youngest sibling, William, 2, on the other hand, appeared to favor anything shiny that was within his reach.
They and their sister, Marianne, 9, and brother, Luis, 5, live with their parents, Miriam and Ramon Vega, in a small second-floor apartment in Verona. The family came to southwestern Pennsylvania eight years ago from Puerto Rico, following Mrs. Vega's mother, who took a nursing job with a local hospital.
Although Puerto Rico is a territory, rather than a state, its residents are citizens and, like other Americans, can move freely throughout the United States.
Mr. Vega has worked for about four years for Ricupero's Landscaping in Verona, doing everything from grass cutting to snow plowing and vehicle maintenance. Although Mrs. Vega starts planning and budgeting for Christmas in October, it is hard to stretch their income to cover extra holiday costs. "We are the kind of family that lives from paycheck to paycheck," she said during a recent interview at their apartment.
That is why she is grateful for the help her children will be getting this Christmas from Network of Hope and Toys for Tots, which is supported by the Post-Gazette's Goodfellows Fund.
Network of Hope is a nonprofit agency based in Hampton that partners with a dozen Pittsburgh-area churches and social service agencies to help needy families and individuals.
"We get referrals from United Way, Catholic Charities, Head Start and other agencies," Janet Amato said. She is director for Network of Hope's site at Three Rivers Assembly of God Church in Penn Hills. "We're Christian-based, but we are nondenominational in the people we help," she said.
Several network sites, including the one at Assembly of God, provide low-cost new toys through a Gift-a-Gift program.
The Vegas, and other parents who had preregistered for the program, were able to select toys for each of their children. Families pay only about 10 percent of the items' retail cost.
As it has in the past, Gift-a-Gift in Penn Hills has teamed up with the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots campaign, which provided a free present to each eligible child, Ms. Amato said. When parents came in to shop for their children, they also found a selection of books.
Members of the Penn Hills church support the network's efforts as part of their Christian mission, Ms. Amato said. "We have to try to meet the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of people," she said. Other elements of the effort include a food pantry and clothing assistance.
This year Network of Hope and Toys for Tots were on target to serve about 100 children from the Penn Hills area, including the five young Vegas.
Network of Hope's Penn Hills site holds a fundraising 3K race each May known as the Walk4Change to raise money for the Gift-a-Gift effort. Since 1947, the Post-Gazette's Goodfellows Fund has worked to make sure that every child receives a toy at Christmas. Since 1999, the Goodfellows campaign has supported Toys for Tots.
Help with Christmas toy shopping assures that Mr. and Mrs. Vega and their family will have money to buy some of the holiday foods they associate with Christmas in Puerto Rico. Those dishes include vanilla custard, roast pork and yellow rice flavored with a salt-and-spice mixture called sazon.
"And pigeon peas," Mr. Vega added. Rice with pigeon peas, which are small round legumes, is one of Puerto Rico's traditional dishes.
The presents are nice and the food always tastes good, but there is something else that Marianne, who is usually called Mary, enjoys even more about Christmas. "I just like being with my family," she said.
More information about Network of Hope programs at Three Rivers Assembly of God Church is available by calling 412-372-3453 or on the organization's website, www.networkofhope.org.
Tax-deductible contributions to Goodfellows can be made with the coupon accompanying this story or at www.post-gazette.com/goodfellows. Every contribution is acknowledged in the newspaper.
Today's total: $5,110
Grand total: $59,660.79
In memory of Ron Lentz $500
Anonymous $300
Marie Connolly
and Steven Husted $250
Anonymous $250
In memory of
John and Anna Yuhas $250
Anonymous $200
Anonymous $200
Jean Picone $200
In memory of Lawrence Hornyak $150
In memory of George Moy $150
Anonymous $150
The Greg Rodgers Family $100
Purrzy $100
The Byrd family $100
Jane and Steve Minnich $100
In memory of Henry C. Gehlke $100
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Bookman $100
Dr. Jack Abarbanel $100
Emma, Johnny and Abby $100
Jackson Stukus $100
In memory of Ruth Bigley $100
In memory of Oma and Opa $100
In honor of Erica
and Jessica Cohen $100
Serafini family $100
Laurie and Frank Bruns $75
In honor of John and Andy $75
Randy and Lisa King $50
Christian Kamenic $50
In memory of Jordan Smith $50
Mahadev Satyanarayanan
and Deborah Kelly $50
Tony and Mary Schwacha $50
Stewart and Bernie Agreen $50
In memory of Patrick J. Ley $50
In memory of Nona Burger
and Clara Loy $50
In honor of Mary Shuey $50
Richard and Lynda Germano $50
Anonymous $50
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Anonymous $50
Michael Waldo $50
Ken Buettner $50
In memory of Bill Stark $40
Bob and Erin Ceh $25
In memory of Marion Gailey $25
Anonymous $25
John Kleck $25
The Hicks children $25
Anonymous $25
In honor of Mason Malin $25
Keith and Karen Zanella $25
Anonymous $20
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Lawrence Vaccaro $20
David and Heather Wald $10
First Published: December 16, 2010, 10:00 a.m.