SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Police Officers’ Association is still seeking more volunteers and donations ahead of the group’s yearly Blue Santa giveaway.
Officers take toy donations to underprivileged families across San Antonio.
“We have children that are going to be invited to attend the DoSeum to get Christmas gifts from us. And with that, they’ll get a chance to explore the DoSeum and visit with Santa, get some snacks with Santa, take some pictures,” said Kelly Herbert, the Interim Director of Blue Cares.
Here’s how it works: Blue Santa looks for people to volunteer toys, donations, and their time to get presents ready. Volunteers then wrap, package, and get bundles of toys ready for families across San Antonio.
Still, Herbert says their work is far from over, and they still need people to help.
“We will be opening up more volunteer slots for the week of Dec. 16 because we’ll still have a great need for those that aren’t able to attend the event,” she said.
Ariel Salas and her family spent the morning volunteering for Blue Santa for the first time.
“It’s something I’ve been trying to get us to do as a family together. Typically, our children are in playoffs for football, or something is going on. So we just found a really great opportune time,” Salas said.
Salas says her husband is an SAPD officer, and bringing her three children along to volunteer is about more than helping someone else. She wants her kids to understand neighborly values of doing good for your community.
“This is for children who are living within the community that their dad serves,” Salas said. “We want to make sure that they feel special and that they’re never forgotten about them during the holidays.”
If you’d like to help donate your time or some toys, you can visit their website here.