Photo: Lieutenant Deborah Vaughan holds up a girl's coat for a family member to see if it's the right size. (Courtesy photo)
Thanks to the generous support of Toys for Tots and Operation Warm, the children of more than 50 Alexandria inmates received a holiday gift and, if needed, a new winter coat this season. On Tuesday, Dec. 11, family members and guardians picked up new toys and coats at the Alexandria Sheriff's Office headquarters on Mill Road.
Each year, Toys for Tots provides the Sheriff's Office with donated toys so that children of inmates in the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center who cannot afford to purchase gifts will receive a toy during holiday celebrations. This year Toys for Tots of Quantico, under the direction of Marine Staff Sergeant Oscar Villegas, provided approximately 200 new toys, including stuffed animals, dolls, cars, trucks, balls and games.
Operation Warm donated 60 new coats as part of its Coats for Kids campaign, marking the second year in a row that Operation Warm has partnered with the Sheriff's Office to ensure that children in need would have adequate outerwear during the cold winter months. The Sheriff's Office worked closely with the regional coordinator, Captain Willie Bailey of the Fairfax County Fire Department, in determining how many coats would be needed.
In recent weeks, Inmate Services staff contacted inmates to identify those who had children who could benefit. Eligible inmates then provided staff with the age and gender of the children, as well as the name of the family member or guardian who would be picking out the toys and coats.
