A Philadelphia Police Dept. Toy Drive Goes Viral, Netting a Thousand Toys
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A bit of Christmas magic is happening in a Philadelphia Police Department "mini station" in South Philadelphia.
It's a toy drive that, thanks to social media, has gone viral. And it's about to bring Christmas joy to some of the city's most vulnerable and desperate residents.
This morning, police lieutenant Michael Goodson of the Third District was at the mini-station at 905 South Street, surrounded by toys -- nearly a thousand toys and still growing. And they'll go to children and other family members being assisted by Women Against Abuse.
"The women and children that will benefit have had to flee their homes due to domestic violence," says Christine Nieves of Women Against Abuse. "Some of them may contact our domestic violence hotline, and many of them arrive at our emergency safe havens with just the clothes on their backs, sometimes a suitcase, but many have very limited financial resources."
Police personnel and the community have come together: community and civic groups, businesses, local parishes, high school students. Individual citizens have donated and are helping to wrap the gifts.