Dec 24, 2007 8:05 pm US/Central
Toys Flood Into Chicago Church Following Burglary
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
It looked like there wasn't going to be much of a Christmas for needy kids at one Chicago church. Someone broke in and stole hundreds of toys last week, but as CBS station WBBM-TV in Chicago's Derrick Blakley reports, it is turning out to be a merry Christmas after all.
The act of Christmas cruelty was overcome by an outpouring of Chicago kindness as hundreds of needy kids received toys that a grinch tried to deny them.
"As a matter of fact, I thought we'd have to cancel the Christmas party," said Pastor Virgil Jones of the Sanctuary Family Worship Center. "Not only did we not have to cancel, we were able to add another 100 kids to our list."
Just eight days ago, someone burglarized the Sanctuary Family Worship Center, stealing hundreds of toys set aside for a Christmas giveaway. It was not just a crime against property, but a crime against kids.
But media coverage triggered an avalanche of generosity and thousands of toys donated from the city, the suburbs and even out-of-state sources were divided by volunteers into bags grouped by age and gender.
"So far we have 600," said Jeanette Murray of the Sanctuary Center. "And any child that comes in, we're not going to turn away. We have extra toys for the kids that didn't sign up."
"I think we have five times more toys than before the church was burglarized," Pastor Jones said. "Instead of kids with one toy, they'll each have five or six."
It is a kind of Christmas miracle for anxious kids and for their hard-pressed parents.
"This year, we really struggled financially and to have someone who has a backup system for the children...it's really a blessing," said parent Myra Sterling.
This is the 13th year the Sanctuary Family Worship Center has held its Christmas toy giveaway. But this year the center will reach more kids than ever, thanks to the flood of donated toys.
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