Single immigrant mother turned away at toy drive

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Published: 12/21/2011 5:36 pm

Updated: 12/21/2011 9:10 pm

A Bakersfield single mother of four contacted 17 News after lining up for the Salvation Army's toy drive. Times are hard for her. She hoped to get some help during the holiday season, but she walked away with nothing.

Carolina Sandoval is a Mexican Immigrant who has four children all born in the United States. The Salvation Army has a rule that all adult toy drive applicants must have a government issued identification card. Sandoval does not have one, so she was turned away.

A Christmas tree in a one-room home. It's clear Carolina Sandoval struggles to care for her family. And, this Christmas she won't be getting the help she hoped for.

Linda Potter says," It hurts me right now that they turned her down. They turned her down because of her I.D."

Carolina Sandoval says," Triste, triste estaban triste." She says her family is sad. Sandoval and her friend Linda Potter showed up at the Kern County Fairgrounds on Wednesday. It was the last day to take part in the Salvation Army's toy and food drive.

Bob Atkinson of the Salvation Army says, "We had a 30-minute window. If they missed that 30-minute window yesterday, then they came in this morning. A rule stands that all adults must show an I.D. The I.D. can be from another country. We ask proof of address, proof of income, birth certificates or social security, we do want a picture I.D. for the adults."

The Salvation Army has the I.D. requirement in place to prevent fraud. One year some applicants were dishonest. "Where they had the same last name, trading social security cards to come in and put all those kids in the same family, said Atkinson.

In Carolina Sandoval's case, she says the toys were just for her kids. The rule came as a surprise.

"That hurt me as well as her, cause when she was crying that made me cry," said Potter.

We checked with Blessing Corner Ministries and the Bakersfield Homeless Center. Both organizations do not require identification cards.

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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of KGET TV 17 - In the Spirit of the Golden Empire

needleduck - 2/9/2012 9:08 AM

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We have a problem with euphemisms here. "Single mother" is used to imply we should feel sympathy and give charity. This kind of sympathy used to be for widows and orphans, not women who just get knocked up by some dude. That is called being an "unwed mother". While there is sympathy for the hardship she her children are in, she chose to breed and it is not society's job to provide for them. Then there is the second descriptive- "immigrant". She is not an immigrant, she is an illegal alien, a scofflaw who seems to think she and her offspring have some sort of entitlement because she was able to sneak in and hatch her eggs here. We have stopped calling things by their real names because it hurts peoples feelings, and now we are afraid to offend anyone and of being accused of being judgmental.

acealden - 1/10/2012 5:56 PM

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She's in our country illegally. She made sure she got knocked up so to have an anchor baby and be able to receive all the free handouts they get. Now she wants to complain because an organization has set rules and wouldn't let her break them like she broke the law coming here illegally? Boohoohoo, waaah! That's that entitlement attitude, where she thinks that just because her kids were plopped out on US soil she's entitled to a free living and all the perks of being a US citizen. Well, you aren't entitled to everything and if I had my way, you and your spawn would be sent back across the border where you belong. For you bleeding heart liberals that will say it's not her fault, or it's not the kids fault, or blah blah blah. Illegals take from us citizens who have worked all our lives and paid into the system, which means they take from my children, too. The more free handouts our government gives them the less resources our children will have available to them later when needed.

SICKOFSTUPID - 1/5/2012 10:53 AM

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With no ID and a sigle mom how is she LEGALLY supporting her kids. She cant get benefits. Once again, come here illegally and abuse the system with the nerve to cry when someone wouldnt bend the rules for them, GO HOME!!!!!!! where your not required to carry proper identification.

murph56 - 12/28/2011 6:36 PM

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Sounds like a great place to donate to, atleast we know they help the people that belong here.

DR999 - 12/22/2011 5:53 PM

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Not sure how you were raised rightiswrong, but I was taught that the parents of children are responsible for their upbringing and care, NOT some social agency! Read diflo's comment. You might learn something. (But I doubt it).

RightIsWrong - 12/22/2011 4:27 PM

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Good luck getting donations next year jerks! SO your going to rob these children who did NOTHING wrong of a Christmas. What @$$holes! And this has NOTHING to do with her immigration status since it wasn't the issue. And to those of you making this about their nationality, go find another Klan parade to march in!

diflo - 12/22/2011 2:54 PM

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After a divorce, I was left homeless with five children. We were sleeping on my sister's living room floor. We had no money for Christmas, so I cut down a little pine tree in the yard, made dolls for the girls, pajamas for all, and wooden click-clackers and knitted hats and scarves. No way would I reduce myself and my children to beg for free handouts. My girls loved those dolls. I eventually received a partial teaching credential, and was hired by BCSD. I went to school three nights a week and every other Saturday, while working, and even worked through valley fever. I'm not going to say I did it all by myself; when you show you are working and sincere, there are those who encourage you, and show you how to succeed through determination, and hard work, and sacrifices.

jodeno - 12/22/2011 12:43 PM

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She wasn't turned away because she was illegal or foreign, it's because she had no id, and the salvation army requires an id, U.S. or not. I swear some of you people read what you want to read. And if christ really is the reason for the season, then does it matter if her kids have no toys? At least they have each other, right?

rontruth - 12/22/2011 11:15 AM

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so she calls the news to complain? did 17 news forward her complaint to ICE? she just told them where she is so it should be fairly simple to pick her up and ship her back to her own country. i'm sure the mexican government would be happy to give her presents, free medical care, welfare, foodstamps, free housing, free education for her kids. since the artical didn't state her age, i'm guessing early to mid twenties-since she only has 4 kids so far. i think the salvation army picked up a lot more respect and donations than the one person (who probably never donated anyway) claims he will be giving to another charity.

ginny - 12/22/2011 10:02 AM

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The Salvation Army, Toy for Tots, and all of the other organizations that give gifts and meals at the holidays have reported that they are very short on donations this year. As far as I am concerned, the kids/families who should be first in line for these programs are the legal citizens of the country before anyone else. There are so many Americans in need and we are the ones who the Govt programs put thru hoops in order to get any help, while illegals can't be questions or rquired to provide any evidence of qualifications, they get it handed to them on a silver platter.

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