With the help of Garrison Street residents and other Peninsulans, funds are being raised to make a difference in the life of Point Loma High School junior Divina Leal – one cup of hot chocolate at a time.
Leal recently lost her mother to domestic violence.
It’s all part of the Christmas spirit and tradition at two homegrown Point Loma Yuletide events – the Dec. 19 Ybarra family’s “Hot Cocoa for a Cure” annual hot chocolate charity fundraiser and the annual Garrison Street holiday light show.
The 16th annual Garrison Street charity fundraiser, to be held Saturday, Dec. 19 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at the Ybarra Freitas residence at 3616 Garrison St., will sell upward of 1,000 cups of $1 hot chocolates and scrumptious baked goodies. All event proceeds each year are donated to a local person in need.
This year, the recipient of the neighborhood’s largesse will be Leal, who’s mom Josie Jones, a native of Point Loma, was killed by an ex-boyfriend in Nevada, where she and Leal previously resided.
Leal now lives in Point Loma with her aunt and uncle, Carree and John Anderson.
“Divina is basically starting her life over in a new town, trying to adjust, while living with this horrible, tragic loss,” said the Ybarras on their charity event Facebook page, facebook.com/ events/507749592719283/. “Divina could really use the support from her new community. We look forward to seeing you Dec. 19 and thank you in advance for your support.”
Past event recipients have also included a victim of juvenile diabetes and a boy who was shot and survived.
Carrie Ybarra said her family’s charity fundraiser started out small.
“Sixteen years ago it was just a little hot chocolate stand run by my two daughters out in front of our house to raise money for a little girl in Tijuana having leg surgery, and we raised enough money to buy her a Barbie,” she said. “Now it’s turned into a community event where people not only donate, but help run it.”
Garrison Street neighbor Kerry Peter agreed the charity event’s size – and importance – has outgrown its original intent.
“It used to be just a few kids selling hot chocolate on one night,” Peter said. “Now it’s a big event for the whole community. Everyone donates chocolate, cups and baked goods.”
Peter added the event is not about selling hot chocolate but rather “giving back, showing people who need help that we care.”
Best of all, said Peter, the chocolate charity directly benefits someone local.
“We’re not giving to a big charity,” she pointed out. “This is really hands-on. It goes to a person that’s in our community who needs our help.”
But the Dec. 19 Ybarra hot chocolate charity is just the star topping the tree for neighbors on Garrison Street. Neighbors light up the night for more than a month with their annual Christmas light display, which starts Thanksgiving night and runs until Jan. 5.
Nazare Judd is a granddaughter in the family that started the Garrison Street Christmas Light tradition. She said it began as a “friendly” competition nearly 30 years ago between her mother and grandmother that she, half-jokingly, admitted “got out of control.”
The Garrison Street Christmas celebration of lights is on the block between Chatsworth Boulevard and Garrison Place. Judd noted neighbors annually try to outdo one another with their Christmas displays, an activity that’s earned the community a well-deserved reputation as a holiday destination.
The Christmas tradition began without anything elaborate, just a small nativity scene. Then there was a Santa in the window. Then angels in the windows. Then Mickey Mouse characters in the windows. Now some have likened some home’s entries to Disneyland.
Other homes nearby subsequently joined in adding lights and other things, like big blow-up displays of Santa Claus and his reindeer, snowmen and other Christmas icons.
Kyle Ybarra noted the Garrison holiday light show “has started to stretch beyond our little two blocks. We have new families on Garrison Place that are lighting up that side of the street that has been pretty dark. Eventually, maybe a few years from now, it will be considerably larger.”
Kerry Peter described her family home’s Christmas light display as “more simple, clean. Our house is not covered in lights like some others. We have more of a San Diego theme with a surfin’ Santa on the roof.”
Peter said they also have five, 4-foot tall multi-colored wreaths on display as well as having a snowman.
Special appearances at the Dec. 19 Ybarra hot chocolate charity are to include: Steve Grady’s band playing live, a fire truck visit from Station 22 and Santa.
They Ybarras request that friends, families and neighbors show up on Dec. 19 to buy hot cocoa, treats or make a donation. She suggested they bring baked goods or an item needed for the event.
“If you sign up to bring something, please drop it off by Thursday, Dec. 17, with the exception of baked goods,” said Carrie Ybarra adding, “Individually wrapped baked goods can be dropped off anytime on Friday, Dec. 18. Please leave all items on the porch of 3631 Garrison St. noting who it’s from. 
All money raised will go to a college fund for Leal.
Donations can accepted at the event or through the mail. Checks can be written to Carree and John Anderson (Divina’s Aunt and Uncle) and dropped off at the event or sent to: Garrison Street Fundraiser, c/o Carrie Ybarra, 3631 Garrison Street, San Diego, CA 92106. You can also donate directly to GoFundMe at www.gofundme.com/josiejonesandkids.