There was a wonderful little piece on the SFGate website this weekend about Jose Marquez, a man who has turned his Cortland garage into a foster home for cast-away stuffed animals:
Basically, we give these stuffed animals a second chance,” said Marco Marquez. His grandfather, Jose Marquez, stood by his side and his year-old son Anthony sat in his arms. The collection of stuffed animals started 16 years ago shortly after Grandpa Jose purchased a Bernal Heights apartment building. Back then, Jose was a construction worker and would rescue the toys that had been thrown into gutters, bringing them to the garage for a second life. Now Jose is retired, and the garage has become a haven for him.
Amazing, amazing, amazing multimedia storytelling, and the video above is a gorgeous must-see (be patient while the video player loads, please). Don’t miss it.
PHOTO AND VIDEO: SFGate
Bernalwood 
I wish this guy would give some of his many, many, loved toys to kids who need them….
If you listen to the words of the video the man says most of the toys were found on the street, in poor condition. They are not being hoarded away from children.
Great find! I’ve wondered what was going on inside his garage for years.
My five year old walked past there and said: “That man must be very rich, to have so many toys!”
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing a tender story. Beautifully done film… a perfect gem.
Looks like a dust nightmare to me.
Awesome! I have driven past that open garage so many times and wondered about it
That’s mY friend Marco! i went to middle school and graduated high school with him. He is also a proud Bernal Heights native. Great story