HFD gives away thousands of toys to needy kids

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Toys collected by the Houston Fire Department are going out to thousands of needy local children.

The toys are being given way at the New Light Christian Center in northeast Houston. The center began distributing toys at 8am Thursday morning and will continue doing so until they hand out every toy. The fire department told us firefighters are still picking up last minute donations for the giveaway.

HFD has received more than 30,000 donated toys and several generous monetary donations to buy toys this year.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Needy kids get to 'Shop with a Cop' for holiday wish list

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Christmas came early for dozens of local kids who are in the care of Children's Protective Services. Houston police officers and volunteers took the kids on a shopping spree.

Santa wears blue when he works with the Houston Police Department. Today, at a Target store in the Heights, 20 children received $100 gift cards to shop with the assistance of HPD officers. The kids ranged in age from 5 to 15, and were each paired with an officer who helped them pick out items on their wish list during the Shop with a Cop event.

As with every child it seems, those wish lists were impressive.

"A Wii DS, PSP, Playstation 3, a phone, an iPod and a computer," said one child.

"It's really a blessing and as I told him earlier people don't have to be nice, but when they are nice, you need to learn to appreciate it and say thank you," said parent Jaqueline Benjamin,

"It's great. I love this. It's something that we do in the community," said HPD Officer Mark Leija. "The type of job that we do, we work out of storefronts and so this is a great feeling for me as well."

The kids were all pre-selected through CPS as in need this holiday season.

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