Santa's toy bag woefully short of gifts for kids

Friday, December 16, 2005

By ATHIMA CHANSANCHAI
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

For some kids, Christmas doesn't guarantee a wrapped gift under a brightly lit tree.

"Just picture yourself being 9 years old, having lived on the streets for six months to a year and coming into the shelter and Christmas is coming. You're watching TV, and everyone is sitting in their homes getting gifts, and it's humbug for you," said Herb Pfiffner, executive director of Seattle's Union Gospel Mission. "I just think it's so important for our children to get gifts."

He said the "Santa Claus" room normally overflowing with gifts by this time of year is woefully less than last year, by a lot.

"Since September or so we've seen compassion or crisis fatigue, and right now the number of toys that would normally come out of the Youth Outreach Center and the women and children's shelter is definitely lower," Pfiffner said. "I've been here 17 years, and this is probably the lowest we've had in gifts in kind."

Local organizations such as the Union Gospel Mission, he said, are feeling the pinch, especially at this time of year, when they need those kinds of donations the most.

Before last weekend, the Atlantic Street Center was in danger of not being able to deliver new toys to all 350 families, including 1,056 children, on its schedule. But an outpouring of community support earlier this week helped the center reach its goal, said spokeswoman Darcy McInnis.

The organization had not received about 1,000 toys it expected from the Puget Sound U.S. Marines' Toys for Tots program, which is facing a toy shortage this year.

Steve McGraw, executive director of the Washington chapter of the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, said the hospitals to which the organization delivers new toys told him gifts for kids younger than 2 and for teens (CDs, electronic games, MP3 players) were lacking. McGraw said unwrapped and new toys and gifts for the pediatric patients can be taken to any Starbucks, which will mail the donations directly to the foundation.

P-I reporter Athima Chansanchai can be reached at 206-448-8041 or athimachansanchai@seattlepi.com.

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