Cambridge Police and Fire Departments Seek Your Help in Gift Drives for Seniors and Tots

The Cambridge Police Department and Cambridge Fire Department are seeking donations for their annual “Secret Santa for Seniors” and “Toys-for-Tots” gift drives.



Donations for the Cambridge Police’s 9th annual “Secret Santa for Seniors” gift drive will be accepted now through Friday, Dec. 18. Gifts can be dropped off in the first floor main lobby of the Robert W. Healy Public Safety Facility, 125 Sixth St. or at City Hall, 795 Mass. Ave., in the City Clerk's Office.  Last year’s “Secret Santa for Seniors” gift drive was the Police Department’s most successful yet, as more than 500 senior citizens received holiday gift bags due to the generous support of City employees and the Cambridge community. The Cambridge Police are looking to bring cheer to even more seniors this year. The following suggested items – unwrapped – would be greatly appreciated:

• Food (e.g. chocolate, tea, jams, crackers, hard candy)
• Socks
• Slippers
• Hats
• Gloves
• Blankets
• Bath robes
• Local sport team items
• Lip balm
• Cough Drops
• Gift cards

If members of the community are interested, the Cambridge Police Department is also seeking volunteers on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 24 to hand deliver gift bags to the seniors. For more information, or to volunteer, please contact Sgt. Kale, Officer Burroso or Matt Nelson at 617-349-9354 or e-mail communityrelations@cambridgepolice.org.



Cambridge Firefighters Join With Marines in Annual “Toys-For-Tots” Drive



Cambridge Firefighters will once again partner with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in collecting toys for the annual “Toys-for-Tots” drive. Now in its’ 68th year, the program was started in Los Angeles, when a handful of Marine Reservists distributed 5,000 toys to needy children on Christmas Eve 1947. Since its inception, over 230 million needy children throughout the U.S. have benefited from the donation of over 494 million toys. Toys-for-Tots is a program that brings all elements of a community together for a common cause for a few weeks each year, dedicated to helping in the development of our children. Toys-for-Tots delivers a message of hope to children who have little reason to have hope for the future. The Cambridge Fire Department and Cambridge Firefighters Local 30 IAFF are proud to work with the Marines in this great endeavor.



New, unwrapped toys may be dropped off at any Cambridge Fire Station until Thursday Dec. 10, 2015. Monetary donations can also be made via the Toys-For-Tots Website. www.toysfortots.org. 



For more information, contact Assistant Chief Gerard Mahoney at 617-349-4970 or visit the Cambridge Fire Department website at www.cambridgefire.org