KILLEEN, Texas — Killeen Independent School District is bringing some holiday cheer to the community this December.
The Killeen ISD Police Department is once again hosting its Blue Santa gift drive for families in need, calling on schools and departments to donate new toys for students in the district's homeless and foster care programs.
This is the fourth year of the drive, and each year the drive brings in more gifts and fills a larger room at the KISD Jackson Professional Learning Center, said the district.
This year, Killeen ISD said there were enough donations to give gifts to around 300 families, a number that is expected to rise to around 500 by the end of the week.
KISD said donations came from multiple campuses across the district, as well as Live Oak Ridge Middle School and the Chaparral High School National Honor Society, the Fort Cavazos Directorate of Emergency Services, Ten Ninety-Five Apparel, the 61st Quartermaster Battalion and Heart O’ Texas Federal Credit Union.
“We try to give a better Christmas for children who are really encountering tough times,” said KISD Police Chief Erik Hydorn. “During this time of giving, it’s good to be able to provide this level of support. This time of year is the most important time for me personally to give back to the community.”
The KISD Homeless Awareness and Response Program (HARP) includes around 600 students, with the foster care program including another 175, said the district. The Blue Santa drive helps make the holidays a little brighter for those students.
“It’s a huge blessing,” said KISD Director of Federal Programs Christianne Shinn, who has accepted the Blue Santa donations for the past four years. “Families pick the gifts themselves. That is so important to them. They can wrap it and give it to their child. They are so thankful and want to know ‘Who can I thank?’ It’s a different way of empowering our community.”
Numerous churches, fraternities, sororities and other groups also help with drives for families connected to state and federal assistance programs, said Killeen ISD. School leaders reportedly identify other families in need as well.
“I’m always so impressed with how our community comes through,” Shinn said. “They always respond when we ask.”