COVINGTON, Ky. — Christopher Estano is a local business owner who owns Paddy’s on Main in Covington. This year, he’s decided to further efforts to help community members out. He said he’s got about 25 families he’s helping with gifts this Christmas. That comes from helping Learning Grove and the Ion Center for Violence Prevention with some families in need and hearing out stories of community members in need himself.

“I grew up in the foster system myself and was in foster homes and I kind of know what it’s like to be in that situation and wanted to see what we could do to help alleviate some of the issues going on,” he said.

Estano said as a proprietor, he wants to be there for the community. He said he rides with a group of people on the east coast who’ve become toy suppliers in their community and that inspired him to help 25 families in need this holiday season with some gifts. 

“I don’t like the term give back. People have said that more than once, that you’re giving back and I don’t like that term. I think, in general, we are our brother’s keeper and we’re supposed to take care of each other,” he said.

Taking over the backside of his bar are toys and gifts. Helping make his mission of helping people out possible are some community volunteers, who helped with some of the wrapping on Sunday. One of them was Abby Brown, who said it’s important to get involved and do things like this.

“Some of us are more fortunate and more able to give and I think it’s good to make the Christmas season more bright for more families and other children in the area,” she said.

Estano said this isn’t something that’s a one-year thing only.

“We did commit to doing this every single year and then we’re going to try and get some of the other places around here a little more involved next year as far as maybe putting boxes out and collecting gifts beforehand and just seeing what we can do with it,” he said.

Estano said they’re going to get presents to families Dec. 23 and 24.