Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Chloe Montoya, a 7-year-old from Kearns, creates Christmas stockings for Native youth.
- She aims to fill 105 stockings with essentials for Utah Foster Care's Native youth.
- Chloe's family supports her efforts, inspired by a tradition honoring her late sister.
KEARNS — On the surface, Chloe Montoya appears to be a typical 7-year-old.
She likes going to school to see and play with her friends. She enjoys spending time with her grandmothers. Chloe talks with excitement about helping her father change the oil in the car by giving him the tools he needs. She's even missing her two front teeth.
But scratch the surface, and you will see that Chloe is not a typical little girl because she does not come from a typical family.
The Montoyas believe in giving to their community and being grateful for everything that they have. Life has not always been easy for them, but they have found ways and time to share any blessings they have, especially with their Navajo — and general Native — community.
The understanding of blessings and sharing them with others has rubbed off on the youngest of the Montoya children. Chloe has always led her family in creating Christmas stockings for Native youth in Utah, including those along the Wasatch Front. But this year, she wanted to do more. She wanted to make 100 stockings for Indigenous youth.
"When she told me she wanted to do 100 stockings, I thought, 'Whew, we're going to need help on this one,'" said Ralyn Montoya, Chloe's mom. "But this is who she is, and how can you say 'no' to her?"
The Montoyas' intentional acts of service come from a response to a tragedy back in 2010. The eldest of the children, Kenzley, died and has been identified as an "angel" by the family. As a family, grandparents included, they have decided to do acts of service in Kenzley's name, a tradition that still stands.
Chloe learned the importance of the family's service early on.
Family members say she is a helper, always wanting to be near whoever is doing work and could use her help. She helped her grandmother sew the stockings to the point that she gifted Chloe her sewing machine. She helps her mother with making ornaments for the Christmas tree. She helps wherever she can.
Chloe helps in school, too. When she noticed a student who seemed anxious and afraid, she walked up to him and asked if he wanted to be her friend. She then stayed with him until his mother picked him up after school. She continued to do this every day.
But during Christmas, one of her favorite holidays, she uses her time, effort and energy to focus on Native youngsters who may not have what she has.
"I like to help," Chloe said. "I do this so some people will have the Christmas spirit."
By the weekend, she will have made and filled 105 stockings and bags with toothpaste, socks, gloves, hats, books, puzzles, candy canes and more. Everything will be donated to Utah Foster Care to go directly to the 103 Native youth in the state and tribal foster care systems.
This is the fourth year Chloe has created and filled stockings for youth in her community. Her family has always helped her with the Christmas stocking project, allowing everyone to see her as not an emerging leader but an established one.
Chloe, a young girl who plays basketball — her favorite player is former University of Utah basketball player Izzy Palmer— bowls, plays baseball and other activities that cause her parents to drive all over the place to support her, is an inspiration to everyone who meets her, regardless of age, family relation and grade level.
When people tell her what she is doing is great, she says it makes her feel happy and good.
Then she goes back to being a 7-year-old, just to remind you that she is still a kid.
"I don't have any front teeth. I'm missing two front teeth," she said. "I want my two front teeth for Christmas. I can't eat anything now."
