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In Youngstown, Santa’s helpers sometimes dress in blue
By JOE GORMAN | jgorman@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
Video
When Hilda Rodriguez was told by city police officer Shawna-Cie Ott her children would be given gifts this Christmas, she thought it was a prank.
So when Ott showed up Wednesday at her East Side home on North Garland Avenue along with other members of the Community Police Unit and Santa, Rodriguez was in tears.
Her four children, however, could not stop smiling.
When asked what the gifts meant to her and her family, Rodriguez started to cry and could not speak for several minutes.
“I’m blessed,” she said. “I’m working. I’m paying the bills. But I don’t have enough for Christmas [gifts].”
The gifts were donated by residents when the CPU had its “Fill A Cruiser” event earlier this month, when residents were asked to drop off a new toy at a cruiser parked at St. Christine Church.
Ott said there were so many gifts that three cruisers were filled and officers had to make two trips back to the site to ferry gifts back to the CPU office at Mahoning and Eleanor avenue. Officers also had to use their own vehicles to haul away the presents.
The gifts were separated by age and gender and then wrapped before being delivered Wednesday. Other deliveries in the morning included stops on Eleanor Avenue, Rush Boulevard and Bears Den Road.
Members of the unit were tipped off to families in need by council members in their wards or they knew of families in need from their day-to-day work in the streets. Some people dropped off money or gift cards at the “Fill A Cruiser” event, so other gift cards were purchased to give to children older than 12.
At her Bears Den Road home, Edna Robinson watched as her nephew, Jeremiah Robinson, 6, and niece, JiAnna Robinson, 4, opened their gifts, among them a football and basketball, a doll and a gigantic play set. Edna Robinson said she has been caring for the kids after their mother, her sister, died earlier this year.
“It makes me feel so special to see how happy they are,” Robinson said.
Ott said it was officer George Wallace’s idea to fill a cruiser. She said Detective Sgt. Pat Kelly, who heads up the unit, and Police Chief Robin Lees both approved the idea. She said the number of gifts dropped off was astounding.
“The community is absolutely amazing,” Ott said.
At the home on Eleanor, Ott opened the door and as Santa walked up the steps of the porch, the children inside rushed outside and into his arms.
“That’s priceless right there,” Kelly said.
Ott said when she told Rodriguez she would be receiving gifts, Rodriguez did not believe her. Ott said she had to call her back to assure her she was telling the truth.
Lees said a lot of credit must go to Ott and Wallace for organizing the giveaways. He said because of their unique assignments, they are able to do things a lot of regular beat officers would normally do but cannot because of the time constraints they face when they are on patrol. Beat officers did get to give out gift cards earlier this month provided by a secret donor.
Lees said the number of gifts also shows what the people of the city and area are really like.
“It’s heartwarming to see this much charity,” Lees said.