Maddie Godoy isn't the kind of kid who makes a Christmas wish list. She doesn't think much about things like gifts because her family is always struggling to make ends meet.
"I just want everyone to be happy," says the bright-eyed sixth grader. "That's all I want for Christmas."
But this year, Christmas may be coming early. Dozens of readers have responded to this news organization's article about Godoy and other students in East Palo Alto's hardscrabble Ravenswood school district, which has one of the highest percentages of students classified as homeless in the Bay Area. They plan to donate funds to help Maddie and other students at Ravenswood Middle School, where almost a quarter of the students lack a fixed, adequate night-time residence.
Godoy's whole face lit up when she heard that people she has never met are willing to try to help her.
"It makes me so happy," she says, sitting on the school's lawn during her lunch break. "I can't believe that people actually care about what happens to me in my life."
When Maddie told her mother, Erika Godoy broke down. Though the family currently has a one-bedroom apartment, earlier this year they lived in a garage for six months.
"She was so happy she just started crying," says Godoy, who is planning to become the household treasurer and help her mom budget any extra money they receive. She says one of the first things they need is diapers for her 2-year-old brother Iker. Other money will go to food and rent. "I wanted to cry too but I'm trying hard not to."
When pressed to answer what gift she would want if she could have anything at all, she says a laptop to do homework on. Right now, she uses a smartphone but the pages don't look right.
Maddie's friend Mayra Arias, who has also coped with homelessness in the past, jumped in to point out that donations to the school would help all its students.
"We don't have a playground and we really need one," Mayra says.
Ryan Hughes, the principal of Ravenswood Middle School, was also heartened to hear that there might be some extra funding coming his way during the holidays, a time when he bends over backwards to spread some cheer at a school, where many of the children live in poverty.
"I think the story really opened people's eyes to how much poverty is all around us," he says. "It makes a huge difference to our school when people give. Every little bit counts. It means we have more of the things we need to help the kids."
Margarita Mendoza, one of many readers who plan to make a donation, was touched by Godoy's maturity. She too grew up in a family that scraped to get by each month.
"The one sentence I will never forget is when Maddie said she tells her mother thank you for working so hard," says Mendoza, a mother of two who lives in South San Jose. "Only kids with a certain experience can understand and see the sacrifices their parents make just to survive. It really moved me to see that she gets and values that sacrifice. And it also made me ache to know that at such as a young age she already has to get it. "
Hughes is also quick to point out that volunteers are also crucial to making the school run smoothly. "We always need help," says Hughes. "They help us with everything from reading in small groups to tutoring."
He believes knowing that so many people are on her side will help Godoy achieve her goals despite the obstacles facing her. The support will motivate her to press on.
"I know it means a lot to her," he says. "She's just got to keep trying despite the struggles. She's got to keep on fighting. We know she can do it."
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HOW TO HELP
Donations to help Maddie and her family can be made by sending a check to Erika Godoy in care of Ravenswood Middle School, 2450 Ralmar Avenue, East Palo Alto, 94303 or by making a gift to the Ravenswood Elementary Fund at the same address.
