"It's huge to see the kids face when they open their presents," Union League Boys & Girls Club Senior Vice President Hector Perez said.
In many of the kids involved with the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs, Perez sees himself.
He started off as a club kid in 1981 after his mother moved the family to Humboldt Park from Puerto Rico.
"My family needed the support and my mom couldn't do much for us, so they took us under their wing," Perez said.
Perez has risen through the ranks of the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs over the past 38 years. As senior vice president of the organization, he's responsible for 21 club locations that serve over 15,000 kids a year.
"I actually found my purpose in life. And someone did it for me, someone saved my life," he said.
Many of the staff members are alums of the organization, including the president and CEO.
"So I know the impact that when you're a youth and then you're a staff member, the impact that you make because you remember what a staff member did for you," Union League Boys & Girls Clubs President and CEO Mary Ann Mahon Huels.
It wasn't the plan for Perez, but he's glad his life turned out this way, helping young people unwrap their potential to share their gifts with their community.
"I would have never dreamed of coming to downtown and being in the position I'm in," Perez said.