Page 46 - December 2020

Toy Story Seeing kids in needs when responding to calls
inspires officers to keep stocking CPD Toy Bank
From games to dolls to sports equipment, Chicago Police Officers continue to stockpile toys for kids in need through the CPD Toy Bank.
n BY DAN CAMPANA
For several years early in her career with the Department’s domestic violence program, Aileen Robinson would hear sto- ries from officers about the children they encountered on calls. Already facing difficult circumstances for whatever reason the police ended up in their homes, these youngsters often had no toys or broken toys — a particularly difficult sight for officers to see during the holiday season.
From that sadness came inspiration, in the form of the CPD Toy Bank program.
“I came up with the idea when I was speaking with some offi- cers who had just gone on a DV call where the offender had bro- ken all the kids’ toys,” said Robinson, who recently celebrated her 22nd anniversary as a civilian employee with CPD. “Though I knew these kinds of things happen, what I never thought about was the impact on the officers going into these homes and see- ing similar situations over and over. I knew that there had to be something we could do to have a positive impact on both the families we serve and our officers.”
The program runs simply — in most years that aren’t 2020, that is — on the strength of toys collected between Thanksgiv- ing and Christmas, as well as the donation of items by a profes- sional group with ties to the hospitality industry.
“This was a long-standing relationship, so I wasn’t concerned about having enough toys,” Robinson explained, noting how the group’s toy drive helped stock the toy bank.
However, COVID-19 restrictions this year restricted the usual collection opportunities. Robinson was motivated to fill the toy bank this year by the seemingly countless stories in which offi- cers have turned to the program after what they saw on a call.
“Two years ago, we had an interesting situation ... with a blended family,” she recalled. “The male household member only destroyed the toys of the stepchildren and not of his own. That one was very impactful. We have had families where the toys were stolen, sold, destroyed, burned, or simply the family did not have money for toys.”
When an officer has such an encounter and sees a child with- out toys, they call Robinson or others who oversee the toy bank. Using information obtained from the officers about the kids and families involved, Robinson and the DV program team will match up the right toys to the particular situation. Toys can be delivered to the family, or the responding officer do it on his or her own to give what Robinson calls “that spark of joy.”
“We distribute toys until the toys run out,” she said, noting that anything left over into the new year is used to create gift baskets that are given to children hospitalized with gunshot wounds.
Robinson pledged to be creative to ensure the toy bank navi- gates this challenging season and positions itself well for 2021. A post on the CPD Facebook page helped generate some interest in attracting donors. Robinson’s voice, already filled with gen- uine enthusiasm, rose with a hopeful tone as she talked about the opportunity for more officers to learn about the toy bank and its twofold mission — bringing happiness to children and empowering officers to do something special to make a differ- ence for kids.
“It’s a bit more magical,” Robinson said in explaining why she loves the toy bank.
To learn more about the CPD Toy Bank, including how to do- nate, contact Aileen Robinson at aileen.robinson@chicagopo- lice.org.
46 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ DECEMBER 2020