Starting as early as 6 a.m., families started to line up on the sidewalks outside of David M. Gonzales (DMG) Recreation Park in Pacoima for the third annual toy giveaway, although it wasn’t scheduled to start for another four hours.
Throughout the event, thousands lined up waiting patiently to receive toys at the holiday festival. An enterprising pushcart vendor sold hot dogs to those in line.
Led by the officers from the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Community Safety Partnership Bureau (CSP) at the San Fernando Gardens, a police helicopter landed in the park dramatically signaling that the event had begun.
The music was constant with students from area schools performing on stage, showcasing their talent.
It was lively.
Pancakes were served, announcements were made, LA Dodgers prize drawings were held, in a photo booth you could strike a pose with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and there were giveaways for the whole family.
There were also informational booths and health resources from Kaiser Permanente.
But, at the center of the holiday event was ensuring that each child who attended left happy with new toys they had picked for themselves.
Santa’s helpers walked each child through the gym as they carefully selected from the huge variety and impressive amount of toys well organized by age group.
After making their decision, the smiles grew even larger when each child was told to their surprise, that they could pick more than one toy.
Officer Luis Garcia pointed out that the San Fernando Gardens and Pacoima is a community in need with many humble hard-working families that can benefit from a bit of support for their children.
As found during the COVID-19 pandemic, many who are considered “essential workers,” receive low wages and have difficulty making ends meet. Many are immigrants and are the working poor.
“Our community safety partnership team works out of San Fernando Gardens so we know the community well, and we know that there’s a lack of resources in this community. So we encourage stakeholders and companies to invest in this community,” said Garcia.
This year Kaiser Permanente became a main sponsor. JAKKs Pacific and First Responders Children’s Foundation teamed up with LAPD CSP officers, DMG Park and several other stakeholders.
With many moving parts, in addition to the officers in the unit who are involved in organizing this large event, many volunteers are needed to keep it running smoothly. Parent volunteers from Pacoima Charter School and employees from Kaiser volunteered along with several others in the community.
“This type of event helps to build trust so that the community members see that we’re not just here to enforce the law, but we’re also here to provide resources to them, and especially during the holidays, to provide a couple of toys for their kids so that they can have a good Christmas,” said Garcia.
He said earlier in the week he encountered a homeless family just two blocks from the park, a mother and her 10-year-old son.
“We started the process to enroll them in housing and encouraged them to come,” Garcia said, adding he invited the 10-year-old to be his VIP.
“We want to keep building that relationship, to have a good relationship with the community, to have the kids see us not just as an officer, but as a member of their community.
“While we are focused on the San Fernando Gardens area, we do open up this event to the entire public. We want to encourage others that don’t live in this neighborhood to attend,” said Garcia.
“A lot of people don’t like to come to this area because they think it’s a high crime area that isn’t safe. So that’s a perception that we’re trying to change. You know, encourage others that don’t live in this neighborhood to come by to interact not just with us as police officers, but to interact with the members of this community.”