Homeless man says residents made Christmas special

Sarah Kehoe/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Joseph Delgado, right, stands with daughter Alexis Delgado, left. The two are grateful for help received from the community.

by Sarah Kehoe<br
| December 30, 2009 8:00 PM

MOSES LAKE — Stranded with little clothing, food, money or hope, Joseph Delgado came home to Grant County for help.

“I came back to where I was raised when I had no where to go,” said Delgado, 47.

Delgado was born and raised in Royal City, where his family owned a farm. He moved to Seattle a year ago with his 8-year-old daughter, Alexis Delgado, to seek help for health issues.

After a fire destroyed their home in Seattle, the two were forced to live in their car with the few belongings they had left. Unemployed, Joseph relies on the United States Welfare System and food stamps to support himself.

“Right when we got back into (Moses Lake), my car was broken into and everything I owned was taken,” Joseph said. “I was devastated. They took my clothes, money and the Christmas presents I’d just bought for my daughter.”

Joseph had promised Alexis she’d get everything on her Christmas wish list as a reward for good grades in school. Alexis received a 4.0 grade point average this fall.

“After everything was taken, she looked at me and said, ‘Santa isn’t coming this year, is he?’ I broke down and cried,” Joseph recalled, tears welling in his eyes.

Desperate for help, Joseph went to the Moses Lake Fire Department Christmas day. He remembered bringing the firefighters potatoes and other food from his family’s farm when he was a child.

“They remembered me,” he said. “The crew got together and brought Christmas presents to my daughter.”

Firefighter Jay Morice said he was on duty with fellow firefighters Sean Hoxie and Dusty Tyler when Joseph came in.

“He was more distressed over his daughter not having any presents for Christmas than anything else,” Morice said. “We had an opportunity to help out, so we did. It was a mutual effort.”

The men found a leftover present given to the department for a charity.

“We called around to different places to see what was open and every place was closed,” Morice said.

Morice called his family and his daughter offered to give up a few of her Christmas presents to Alexis. The firefighters collected the gifts and brought them over to the hotel Joseph and Alexis were at.

“They weren’t in their room so we dropped the gifts off on the counter,” Morice said. “It was nice to be able to help someone out and to give his daughter some Christmas cheer.”

Some of the presents Alexis received were dolls, a doll stroller and a toy pony.

“The presents made me feel better,” Alexis said. “It made me hopeful that more good things might happen.”

Joseph agreed.

“I was stressed out, this was one of the worst Christmases of my life until the fire department helped me,” Joseph said. “They made me believe there is good people in the world.”

Chief Tom Taylor wasn’t surprised to hear of Hoxie, Morice and Tyler’s generosity.

“This is just the way they are,” Taylor said. “No one prompted them to do it and they didn’t brag about it. They did it on their own.”

Joseph said other community members have chipped in to help him out as well.

Interstate Inn owners Kuki and Giti Singh allowed Joseph and his daughter to stay at their hotel for free after their belongings were taken.

“I told him I wanted to help him,” Kuki said. “I believe that when people are struggling, we have a responsibility as a good citizen to do something.”

The Singhs have allowed the Delgados to stay at their inn at no cost for a week so far.

“We will let them stay for free as long as they need,” Kuki said. “If no one helps him, I will continue to help.”

Moses Lake resident Oleg Kovtonyuk overheard Joseph talking about his situation while dining at Jack in the Box Christmas Eve night. Kovtonyuk prayed with Joseph and brought him food later that night.

“He listened to my problems that night and has continued to help out me and my daughter,” Joseph said. “That just meant a lot.”

Kovtonyuk said he was glad to lend a hand.

“Joseph is a great man,” Kovtonyuk said. “God told me I was supposed to help him.”

Joseph returned the favor when Kovtonyuk got into a car accident a few days ago.

“He came to the hospital to visit me,” Kovtonyuk said.

“He was there for me, so I wanted to be there for him,” Joseph said.

Joseph said without the community, he and his daughter would be destitute.

“I tried to receive help from organizations, but shelters were backed up and there was no housing available,” Joseph said.

The Salvation Army in Moses Lake and The Community Housing Alliance only had enough funds to house the Delgados for one night, according to Joseph.

“There are many homeless people out there in need,” Joseph said. “I never thought I’d be one of them.”

Joseph is grateful for the community support. He is currently seeking employment and moving into a home with the help of Getsemani Pentecostal Church members in Othello.

“I want to thank the community here for helping me,” Joseph said. “There were people that didn’t even know me that stepped up.”