On Thursday, each child ages 6 weeks to 5 years of age who attends the Rosa Valdez Early Childhood Learning Center will receive several gifts from their next-door neighbor, CURA Freight.

CURA Freight, a third-party logistics company, founded by two Plant High School students in 2017 and located in West Tampa, has formed a partnership with Rosa Valdez Early Childhood Learning Center of the Cornerstone Ministries at 1802 N. Albany Ave.

As a holiday initiative, CURA Freight will be donating a winter coat/jacket and pair of holiday-themed pajamas for the more than 60 students ages 6 weeks to 5 years old at the Rosa Valdez school. CURA also has a surprise for all the 30 educators and volunteers at the school — a $50 gift certificate.

“2021 has been a challenging year due to COVID-19 and supply chain issues which have impacted local families and schools,” CURA President Eddie Santucci said.

The team at CURA Freight wanted to find a way to make a positive impact on their community. While brainstorming together, the employees looked out the office window and saw children playing one block away at the Rosa Valdez school.

The group immediately walked over to learn more about the school and its needs.

Cathy Capo Stone, the director of the Rosa Valdez Early Childhood Learning Center, told the CURA employees some of the needs that the school has and the challenges that the students who attend face. The CURA team learned that the school operates almost entirely on a donation-based budget and the children are taught by teachers and volunteers with a deep passion for what they do.

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