KD Sunday Spotlight: Toys for Pittsburgh Tikes spreading Christmas cheer
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - There are many children in the Pittsburgh area who have woken up on Christmas morning with no gifts under the tree.
Toys for Pittsburgh Tikes and its volunteers are helping the big man himself in Santa's Pittsburgh workshop.
There's a warehouse full of thousands of new toys, including tablets, bicycles, sports gear, games, dolls, and stuffed animals.
"We got some educational toys, we got games, we have books, we like to do a little bit of everything," said Javid Shojaie, the chairman of Toys for Pittsburgh Tikes.
There is no feeling quite like being a child on Christmas morning. Toys for Pittsburgh Tikes is giving Santa a hand, so children in the Steel City and surrounding communities get to experience the excitement of seeing what Santa left under the tree and tearing open presents.
"Honestly, I think every kid in Pittsburgh should wake up and smile at Christmas time and open a brand-new gift," said Shojaie.
Shojaie also owns Jaden's Catering in Monroeville. He created Toys for Pittsburgh Tikes, which is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, 10 years ago, after local businesses came together to collect toys around the holidays, and they wanted toys to go to local families.
The organization has a board of trustees and about 44 volunteers whom you could call Santa's elves.
Local businesses collect toys and when the boxes are full, the volunteers pick them up and sort the gifts by age and gender.
"So it's a very, very well-organized machine and honestly this happens because of the army of the people that support this organization. I'm just the guy that's driving the train, so ha!" Shojaie said.
Monetary donations are used to purchase more toys at an affordable price from wholesalers.
The donated toys are distributed through dozens of charities like Tree of Hope, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Western PA, Beverly's Birthday, and many more. Toys also go to police departments throughout Allegheny County. Shojaie said their original mission was to close the gap between the community and the police.
"They literally pass the toys to the families, and it makes us feel good because we know the toys are going to a good place. They know their community, they know whose supposed to get the toys and we know its going to the right hand and they're all awesome," he said.
In fact, the nonprofit donates truckloads of toys for the Western Pennsylvania Police Athletic League's stuff-a-store event. On the morning of Sunday, December 17th, officers from more than 38 departments will go to their facility in the Monroeville Mall. Volunteers will fill the police cruisers with wrapped gifts and the officers will deliver Christmas cheer right to families in the communities they serve and protect.
It's something Deputy Chief Shawn Hudzinski of Port Authority Police looks forward to every year.
"We started partnering with Javid a few years back, and his group has just been a huge blessing for us with giving us toys for our group that we can distribute to kids throughout the area," said Deputy Chief Hudzinski.
Officer Bobbie Bertalan is the crime prevention and community relations officer for the Allegheny County Police Department. She said police departments also collect donations for the annual WPAL stuff-a-store event, which started with one officer's dream to make kids smile on Christmas morning.
"It was started in 1971 by an Allegheny County police officer so it's been going. He's since passed, that was Jim Cvetic, he was an awesome man who always gave back to the community so we're just keeping that initiative alive through him," Bertalan said.
Toys for Pittsburgh Tikes's annual Blue Santa drive-thru toy giveaway is also on December 17th at Propel School in Forest Hills. Toys will be given out by Santa's helpers from Swissvale, Churchill, Wilkins Township, Forest Hills, and Braddock Hills police departments.
In the parking lot of Jaden's Catering along Route 22 in Monroeville, you'll spot their camper for 24/7 drop-off.
Toys for boys and girls ages 14 to 16 are needed, including bikes, baseball gloves, and makeup.
Shojaie said as the demand for toys gets higher every year they take on more charities and expand to more areas.
"Make sure every kid wakes up and smiling and happy and learn about the art of giving. Hopefully, they can pass it along. We have kids coming in here to help us sort toys, help us on drive on Route 22, collect money, and stuff so we're hoping that carries over future and hopefully we won't have to do this in years to come," Shojaie said.
Helping others can make people feel like a kid on Christmas morning.
"It's such a reward for all of us, just making the kids feel good, making their Christmas because a lot of them don't have toys coming," said Deputy Chief Hudzinski.
"As a police officer it gives them a reason to look up to us and know that we are their helper, that we're there to help them," Bertalan said.
Toys for Pittsburgh Tikes shares magic during the time of giving and other times of need throughout the year. That's why donations are always appreciated.
"It's full by December 20th then it will be all empty then we gotta do it all over again," Shojaie said.
The volunteers hope to someday raise enough money to get their own building for storage.
Donations can be made on the Toys for Pittsburgh Tikes' website.
Upcoming events include:
- WPAL stuff-a-store on December 17th at 9 a.m. at the Monroeville Mall.
- Blue Santa toy drive-thru giveaway on December 17 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Propel School in Forest Hills.
- Toy drop-off event at Meadows Ice Cream in Monroeville on December 16 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Toys can be dropped off anytime at the toy camper parked in Jaden's Catering parking lot.