A woman is looking for the couple who handed her a card with cash inside. The woman says the generosity goes a long way, and it was a Christmas blessing.

Kristen Licata went to Sam’s Club in Cape Coral on Wednesday to pick up groceries, but she left with a Christmas gift from complete strangers who went up to her in the parking lot.

“They were trying to hand me a card, and they said that, ‘We have a Christmas card for you. Merry Christmas,’” Licata said. “I said, ‘Thank you. Merry Christmas, and I got the card. Didn’t think anything of it.”

When she opened the card, she found three $20 bills clipped to the top.

“I was in a state of shock, just sat in my car processing what just happened,” Licata said. “It means the world to me.”

Licata thinks the couple knew they were spreading some Christmas magic, but what they didn’t know is that she’s a former performer for Princess Cruises who has not worked since March, and she really needed an extra dose of Christmas cheer.

“This past year has been really brutal on all of us, and it’s really incredible and really amazing and shocking that a couple thought to do this,” Licata said. “If they do see this interview, I thank them very much from the bottom of my heart.”

Licata told us she would really like to thank the couple in person for brightening her Christmas with their generosity.

Even though Licata is out of a job, she says she won’t spend the money. She’s waiting to pay it forward.

“That’s why I’m holding onto this,” Licata said. “I’m hoping that this time next year I can do this for somebody, a complete stranger that I feel like is in need.”

It was a Christmas filled with treats, toys and lots of love as the Gulf Coast Humane Society in Fort Myers held its annual giving tree event Friday.

Dogs in the Humane Society’s care picked out gifts underneath the Christmas tree, and it was all made possible through donations.

Each ornament was made by volunteers for a specific animal.

Brian Weirima, with the Humane Society, says it’s a hit every single year, but the community really pulled through in 2020.

“We are open 365 days a year, every single day, because the animals, they don’t know it’s Christmas Day,” Weirima said. “We still need to come in, but we still like to give them their holiday. The community steps up every single year for these animals, and not just for the giving tree but all year round.”

Shelter cats also received Christmas presents from donors.

The Gulf Coast Humane Society said that this year, it has been able to give away 19 tons of food since April at its mobile food pantries.

“People did not skip a beat with giving to help our shelter animals,” Weirima said.

The Humane Society is back open Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. for anyone who is interested in adoption or donation.

With the cold weather expected Friday night, Southwest Florida opened up shelters to make sure people experiencing homelessness had a warm place to stay.

Staff in Lee County handed out blankets and hot coffee to the homeless, as well as hand warmers and socks.

For the past decade, Gene Bradley’s family has celebrated Christmas by bringing holiday cheer to homeless people in their community.

“So we scoped out where we saw people for the last couple of weeks, and we’re out here just giving back what we collected,” Bradley said.

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