Facebook mockery of West Side family motivates San Antonio man to donate pools to dozens of kids

The now-removed Facebook post of a West Side family which motivated Todd Arredondo's heartwarming response. The now-removed Facebook post of a West Side family which motivated Todd Arredondo's heartwarming response. Photo: Facebook Screenshot Photo: Facebook Screenshot Image 1 of / 36 Caption Close Facebook mockery of West Side family motivates San Antonio man to donate pools to dozens of kids 1 / 36 Back to Gallery

While some social media users scrolled past a viral, now-deleted Facebook photo in jest, one man used the picture — mocking a West Side family using a tarp in a truck bed as a makeshift pool — to motivate his heartwarming response.

Todd Arredondo said his campaign "Pools for Kids," began when he saw a photo of children playing in a makeshift pool outside a West Side public housing apartment complex on Facebook.

The jokes ensued in the comments section of the photo posted to a Facebook community page while Arredondo made a contrasting gesture and decided to help.

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"They (commenters) were poking and making fun of the family," the 31-year-old told mySA.com on Wednesday."Everyone was laughing and putting down the West Side."

With the help of Facebook, Arredondo was able to locate the pictured family. He discovered they didn't live far from his own neighborhood — his heartstrings were pulled even tighter. Using his own money, he purchased an inflatable pool and hand-delivered it the following day.

"They were making good with what they had," he said. "It was an amazing experience to see the kiddos so happy and thankful."

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Arredondo decided he wouldn't stop there and created an online fundraising GoFundMe campaign, which garnered $1,200 in donations for more pools in 24 hours.

Through the Facebook page, "Pools for Kids," Arredondo has been able to locate and help nearly 50 San Antonio families so far this summer.

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And, he's still working. While en route to surprise the kids of another 12 families on Wednesday, he told mySA.com he has dedicated three weeks of vacation to the project.

"I had to take a step away and humble myself," Arredondo added in regards to his decision of opting out of a getaway to continue his mission.

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He also supplies families with pool equipment and supplies, which is funded by his own pocketbook.

"I've met some amazing families and heard heartbreaking stories," he said. "But at the end of the day, if you can put a smile on a kid's face — it's priceless."

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Arredondo said he hopes to eventually make Pools for Kids a non-profit organization to continue for summers to come. In the meantime, donations can be made by contacting Arredondo at (210) 286-0598, on the Facebook page or GoFundMe.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye