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Nellie Franco hugs DPS Sgt. Rudy Lujan when he and his fellow Troopers delivered some Christmas cheer to the family in Mammoth.
A group of Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers got together to help bring Christmas cheer to a family in Mammoth who would otherwise have gone without.
Arizona Department of Public Safety Troopers with Nellie Franco and family in Mammoth. The Troopers played Santa’s helpers Saturday, delivering toys and food to the family just in time for Christmas.
The squad led by Sergeant Rudy Lujan pitched in to purchase food, clothing and toys so that the family of Nellie Franco could have a better Christmas. The DPS troopers are Mike Hawkins, Sam Madrid, Angel Gomez and Austin Sabin.
Nellie is raising some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and the son of a friend. A total of six people and Nellie live in a 160 square feet trailer with the only heat coming from a portable electric heater. Nellie’s stove broke down and needed to be replaced.
Christmas this year looked bleak.
Thanks to Sgt. Lujan and the officers, the Franco family will have a merrier Christmas. A new stove is also being donated and installed by Jessee Walker and friends.
State Troopers Mike Hawkins, Sam Madrid, Angel Gomez and Austin Sabin along with Sgt. Rudy Lujan (not pictured) delivered Christmas gifts and food to the Franco family in Mammoth.
The troopers got a list of some of the things that the kids wanted and went shopping. They arranged to have toys donated by the W. Steven Martin Police Toy Drive Foundation in Chandler and had a large ham donated by the HoneyBaked Ham store located at Oracle Road and Ina in Tucson. The troopers also went grocery shopping and brought the family a load of food for the holidays. The family were excited and thankful to see what the troopers brought them.
Nellie and the family including some other great grandchildren who were visiting posed for a photo with the State Troopers. Three members of the family were unable to be in the photo as they were working that day.
“Now you see, all these officers are good people,” Nellie told her grandchildren and the officers. “We need more people like them. We love you all. Thank you all.”
State Trooper Mike Hawkins gets a little hug from one young member of the Franco family after he and fellow Troopers delivered Christmas gifts and food Saturday.
John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.
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