Hadiyah Flores was a little nervous on Tuesday as she was moments away from meeting the woman who helped make her Christams dreams come true last year.
As the door of a Peoria home swung open, she immediately embraced Ashley Dance, a hug they say has certainly been a long time coming.
“It was such a surprise,” said Hadiyah to Ashley regarding last year’s gift.
“You weren’t expecting it?” Asked Ashley.
“Not at all,” said Hadiyah as they both laughed.
Ashley runs the Little Dreams Come True Foundation, and it has been living up to its name by working with AZDCS’s Giving Tree gift drive for foster children.
“A lot of them, if they’re like me growing up, we didn’t really get gifts on Christmas, so it really means a lot more than people think,” said Hadiyah sharing her background with Ashley for the first time.
Hadiyah entered foster care at age 15 when her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. The disease made it impossible to care for Hadiyah any longer.
Last July, Hadiyah says the disease finally took her grandmother's life.
“She had passed away due to battle with Leukemia, it was just a really hard time for me,” said Hadiyah.
With so much on the shoulders of someone so young, Ashley and AZDCS’ Giving Tree hoped to provide some relief.
Every year AZDCS and its 100 community partners provide gifts to more than 4500 children in foster care.
“A lot of these kids are asked what they want for Christmas and a lot of them don’t even know what to write on their Christmas wish list, because they’ve never had a Christmas, they’ve never received a gift,” said Ashley.
When wish list items are beyond the average participant’s budget, Little Dreams Come True makes it happen.
“During Christmas, our real goal is to grant these big wishes, these big dreams that the kids have,” said Ashley.
That can mean new bikes, digital cameras, PlayStations, concert tickets and more.
For Hadiyah, it meant a trip to Disneyland last Christmas at time she was still hurting from the loss of her grandmother.
“It was just what I needed, and it helped me so much,” said Hadiyah to Ashley as they held hands on the couch. Both holding back tears. Last year, Ashley granted over $10,000 in Christmas wishes, thanks to donations from the community.
“I utilize social media a lot to get friends, neighbors and anyone else I can on board to help pay for the fits.
And when you see up close the impact it makes, it only makes sense to keep on giving.