Santa’s helpers in Edgewood are short on toys and need your help
Santa Claus is ready for Christmas. But some of his helpers aren’t.
They need some giving Atlantans to help support their mission to provide more than 100 children in one of the neediest parts of town a good Christmas.
“Giving isn’t just about making a donation; it’s about making a difference,” said Shacole Pearman, event coordinator. “No child should wake up on Christmas wondering why Santa forgot about them.”
Donors have to move as fast as Santa’s elves. A private party for children and their families from the Edgewood area is set for Dec. 13. As of Thursday, organizers had only about a third of the 300-plus gifts they hope to give out, Pearman said.
They are accepting gifts for the children until Dec. 12 and especially need board games and gifts for girls 8 to 10 and older children, she said.
Pearman represents Columbia Residential, which owns affordable housing complexes in the Edgewood community and is partnering with the Atlanta Police Department‘s Zone 6 Precinct to host the event.
“We are really targeting families that may be struggling in the holiday season,” Pearman said. “A lot of them are struggling with the smaller things, like ongoing holiday support.”
Precinct 6 has hosted a community Christmas party for children in the Edgewood area since 2020. But with invitations out to 100 children and their families – compared to 75 last year – this will be the largest, Pearman said.
Russel Stanio, quality of life officer for Precinct 6, said he “thought it would be a good venture, giving back to the community in that way.
“My heart always goes out to kids,” he said.
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Participating children and their families will have a private Christmas party with photo ops with Santa. Parents will bring a bag of gifts home to be opened on Christmas Day.
Trakelia Fannin took her two children, ages 1 and 6, last year and can’t wait for this year’s party.
Last year’s party “meant everything to me because I was going through a rough patch,” Fannin said. “Times are getting better. But there are a lot of us single mothers out here, and we are the mentors for our children. We are trying to do the best we can to keep a roof over our heads and food in our children’s bellies.”
She said the community party “takes some of the burden off the parents.”
She called the partnership between Columbia and the police “amazing and a great asset to the community.”
How to help: Purchasing toys, games, and gift cards for these families via an Amazon wish list: https://bit.ly/3Z1kuMb. New unwrapped toys also can be dropped off 24 hours a day at Precinct 6, 2025 Hosea L. Williams Drive, NE 30307.
