Brotherly Love: CBS 3's Holiday Help for Veterans
By Kate Bilo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- CBS 3 is happy to be helping veterans this holiday season. We're collecting toys, some of which are going to members of the USO. Our Kate Bilo talked to one of those families in this week's story of Brotherly Love.
18-month-old Madison Manson already knows what to do for a camera: say cheese!
"She's a bubbly child. She is sparkling with personality," said her father, Clarence Manson.
Madison's mom and dad have a lot on their plate this holiday. Clarence Manson is a Philadelphia police officer. He and Katina Ingram are both in the Pennsylvania National Guard. Clarence served in Afghanistan. So how did things change once Madison was born?
"Everything," Katina said. "You can't do everything you used to do before you became a parent."
Now Katina stays home with Madison and is pursuing a degree. Only one income is not easy.
"There's this misconception that we make a whole lot of money, and that's not true," Katina said. "Toys are extremely expensive these days. I don't remember them being that expensive."
Liberty USO wants to help. In cooperation with the CBS 3 Joy of Sharing Toy Fest, they're collecting toys to lift the burden on local military families.
Joe Brooks, president and CEO of Liberty USO, said, "We want to take care of close to 2500 military kids this holiday season. I think that goal is achievable thanks to your viewers and their generosity and their patriotism."
For Clarence and Katina, it's a huge help.
"Tremendously," Clarence said. "It is. It is almost like, I'm like Atlas, lifting the world off my shoulders."
"If not them, who should we take care of?" said Joe.
To help, buy a new unwrapped toy and bring it to our Joy of Sharing Toy Fest drop-off points:
