LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Cleveland family was the first of 35 families to be gifted furniture as Walker Furniture kicked off its 2022 Home for the Holidays event.
Walker Furniture puts the event on each year in partnership with Star Nursery and HELP of Southern Nevada. This year is their 29th year spreading holiday cheer to less fortunate Las Vegas Valley families.
Martell Jr. is just twelve years old and in the seventh grade, but to his younger siblings, he is a role model. His younger brother, Amauri Cleveland calls him, "his hero."
After losing their young mother at the start of 2020 to heart disease, the family of five kids was left with heartache. Soon after their mother passed, their father was incarcerated, leaving the children to live with extended family.
Martell Cleveland Sr. has been out of prison and was hoping to make up for lost time with his kids. He wished to make this Christmas unforgettable, which came true after his eldest son Martell Junior wrote a letter to Walker Furniture hoping to be selected for "Home for the Holidays."
Martell Sr. said, "My son is the one who wrote the story. They lost their mother in 2020, very unexpectedly in November, and I went to prison shortly after that. It was hard on the kids not having their parents."
With a new place to call home, and a lot of recovery still ahead, Martell Jr. says his counselor inspired him to write the letter to Walker furniture.
"She gave me the stuff that I needed to do it, and so I wrote the letter," Martell Jr. said. "She said she sent the letter in, and I just had to wait and see what happened — and then, this happened."
A house filled with new furniture from beds and a living room set to a Christmas tree with presents; their house was transformed into a home, just in time for Christmas.
Their Aunt, JaKayla Edmond, the sister of the kids' late mother says, "It's been a blessing, and it's been a story to tell, and I'm really proud of them, especially Martell, the Junior, for writing this story. I see this all the time, and for it to be a reality, and for it to be my nieces and nephew, it's just different," said JaKayla Edmond.
Martell Sr. said, "I'm loving it, I'm still in disbelief that all of these people are in my house and that I'm receiving these blessings. Out of all the people that could have been blessed, you know, I was chosen, and I'm really thankful."
