LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Earlier this month, Mary Diaz didn't know how she was going to feed her family for Christmas. She explained she had more than $300 of SNAP benefits stolen from her card and used in New York. Since then, communities around central Kentucky have been sending donations — including businesses like Kroger and Walmart.
"You know, there's several other people that took from their families and reached out to us, and we also want to put a big thank you out to them. You know, they said that we didn't have to recognize them on news broadcast, but yeah we do. Cause God sent them to help us for a reason,” says Diaz.
Now, Diaz wants to pay it forward. She says she knows so many other families have gotten their benefits stolen too. She's gotten so many donations from the community that she wanted to help make Christmas dinner possible for others.
She tells one recipient whom LEX 18 News spoke with about his SNAP benefits, Christopher Horine, "Me and my baby wanted to put back in to make everybody have a Christmas just like we're gonna have. So, we hope you and your wife have a merry Christmas."
Horine and his wife, who is disabled, rely on their benefits to get by. He says most of his benefits were stolen, too, and used in Arizona. He says this food donation is a blessing.
Horine says, "Oh, it's a great feeling. It is a great feeling and like I said, with tomorrow being my wife's birthday, this could be no more special to me. You know, because at least me and her is gonna be able to know that at least know that we're not gonna go hungry. We're gonna have something to eat."
Diaz has been working to donate more boxes to families She's so grateful for what everyone in the community has done, but she always wanted to bring awareness to this issue that Scripps News reports has resulted in more than $70 million in stolen benefits.
Diaz says, "I didn't come on here for any type of sympathy, or any hand-me-outs, or give-mes, or to fraud nobody. I come on here because, us as low-class people living on government assistance and benefits, our voices is not heard unless we get it out there."
Diaz says her family will get to have the big Christmas dinner they always do, and she's grateful her daughter has gotten to see what the community is capable of and to learn the importance of helping others when you can.
"It's gonna be a wonderful Christmas again, and it's all because of Kroger and Walmart and the community reaching out to us,” says Diaz.
She says she's still looking for more families in need this holiday. She says she can be reached at 859-310-0727.
