Community support needed for annual toy collection effort
The Mesquite Police Department’s Santa Cop Program is gearing up for the holiday season. For more than 40 years the program has provided children in Mesquite with toys to ensure they have a memorable Christmas.
“It’s a community outreach program where we identify kids, with the help of MISD, that might go without Christmas present because of their family situation,” said MPD Sgt. Mark Bradford. “We as a police department then provide them with Christmas gifts during the holidays.”
Origin of the program
Since the program went citywide in 1982, it has since grown to serve hundreds of children throughout the city each year.
“Last year we served over 600 kids and 200 families,” Bradford said.
As a new addition, program organizers are also working on plans to try and provide a meal for the families.
The program depends on counselors with Mesquite ISD, as well as emergency personnel to make recommendations for kids who could use the help of the program.
“I would say 85-90 percent of the kids come to us through MISD, but when the police department and fire department respond to calls and notice they don’t have Christmas trees out they can refer that family to us as well,” Bradford said.
An application is submitted on the family’s behalf so the program volunteers can check a database to make sure they aren’t receiving toys from another source for the holidays. The database prevents people from double-dipping from multiple agencies during the holidays. The names and wants are then placed on a spreadsheet for organization purposes.
“The night of the gift packing, you are given a child’s name and you fill up the bag with age appropriate names for that child,” Bradford said.
Donations
The program has two main donation events – the CMA Crossroad Riders Toy Run and the Agape Home Healthcare Toy Drive, which are both set for Dec. 3.
The toy run is from 8 a.m. to noon and begins at the First Baptist Athletic Complex, 7894 Samuel Blvd., and ends at Family Cathedral of Praise Church, 790 Windbell Circle. For information on the toy run, email [email protected].
“It’s big a fundraiser for us, not only in terms of money but we get lots of toys,” Bradford said.
Agape Home Healthcare’s event will take place from 1-4 p.m. at its corporate headquarters, 18770 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway. They will have people on the corners collecting toys and change.
On average, the program must raise about $25,000 in donations to provide the same level of toys as it has in previous years.
“We would like to see the program continue to grow and help more families,” Bradford said. “If we could get to where every kid that needs help gets it, that would be awesome.”
Although official collection efforts won’t begin until Nov. 7, the MPD has already begin accepting monetary donations online atcityofmesquite.com/1677/donations.
“People can make either a one-time donation, or they can make a monthly donation through their water bill,” Bradford said. “It gives people the ability to do something without having to come to the police station.”
Toy donations can be brought to the Mesquite Police Department reception desk personnel. After Nov. 7, there will be a box set up in the foyer of the police station. Bradford said they can never get enough bikes, scooters, skateboards or other toys for the 11- to 12-year-olds.
“It’s hard for us to buy enough for the older kids because of the cost of some of those items,” Bradford said.
The organizers are also looking for local businesses that would like to become corporate sponsors of the program.
“We are going to target local, Mesquite businesses. The Santa Cop program only benefits Mesquite ISD kids, so all of the money donated goes back into our community benefiting our kids,” Bradford said.
Mesquite ISD involvement
Mesquite ISD has decided to adopt the Santa Cop program from Oct. 17-20 as its charity of choice. All elementary schools will collect toys and change throughout the week to benefit the program. Middle and high schools will be allowed to choose one day during the week to have a $2 jogging pants day, with all proceeds going to the program. Administrators will be given jeans coupons for donations made to the program.
The district will make announcements at halftime of sporting events to encourage donations from spectators. Cheerleaders, clubs and organizations will be on hand to collect donations at games by wearing Santa hats and collecting donations in holiday boxes.
MPD angel tree
Besides volunteering to help sort toys, officers from the Mesquite Police Department also will have their own angel tree, which will allow them to choose a child to adopt for Christmas by purchasing gifts.
“We put the kids’ names on little paper badges. The officers come by and select which one they want to buy gifts for. They then go out and buy gifts out of their own pocket and bring them back for us to distribute on gift day,” Bradford said. “The little badges we do allow an officer who wants to do something to make it more of a family thing. They will take their wives and kids and go out and buy gifts.”
For additional information on the Santa Cop program, visitcityofmesquite.com/1854/Santa-Cop-Toy-Program.