Christmas "miracle" helps displaced South Lake Tahoe family

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - When Laura Alvarez De Ruiz, her husband and three children found themselves homeless just a week before Christmas their future was uncertain.

De Ruiz and her family filled one of six apartments at 3546 Spruce Avenue until December 17. That was when they had to vacate their home after the landlord failed to provide safe housing for residents and the City of South Lake Tahoe shut it down.

A family of five, one week until Christmas and forced to find housing in an already depleted rental market.

That is when the community stepped in and helped the family.

On Sunday, December 16, families to be displaced from the apartments were visited by Santas from the Heavenly Village Breakfast with Santa and given warm clothing and gifts. Affected families were also given a week of free lodging at the Coachman Hotel in South Lake Tahoe.

Permanent housing was still on their "Wish List" but Santa's gift giving was not yet completed.

This Christmas, Laura and her family are in a new apartment on Pasadena Avenue in the Al Tahoe neighborhood.

"Mami, the miracle was realized," said Laura's young daughter from the comfort of their new home.

Laura said she is very thankful to everyone who helped them get into that home, buy groceries and get Christmas presents: Amanda Hammond, Amy Poole, St. Theresa Church, the wrestling team, the El Dorado County Library, the Stonesipher family, Eric Watada and State Farm Insurance, Heavenly Village, Fire and Ice, Family Resource Center, Bijou Community School, Tahoe Magic, Teresita “Tere” Tibbetts, Laura Albizo and the Quarterback Club at STHS.

"I just want to say 'thank you' to every person in South Lake Tahoe for their help," said the grateful Laura.

She also wanted to thank her husband's employer, New Vision, for giving him extra days off to deal with the situation of moving out and then back into the new home.

De Ruiz is teaching her children on the importance of giving back to their community. She has taught crocheting at the library and used to deliver bread to Family Resource Center when she had a car, and now with how the community has treated her and her family, there will be more to come in the future.

"I had a chat with my children and explained to them that it is important to be a volunteer," said Laura. She has no other family in the region and finds "family" in volunteering.