Heartfelt thanks in words and pictures A picture is truly worth a thousand words for there are no words to express our gratitude for your participation and dedication to the 2015 Operation Stocking Stuffer Toy Drive. On behalf of the over 4,000 men and women of the Houston Fire Department, please accept our deepest, most heartfelt thanks to you, all of your employees, vendors, customers and volunteers who made the 2015 Operation Stocking Stuffer such a phenomenal success. Your commitment to this program brought a lot of holiday joy and countless smiles to thousands of Houston area underprivileged children. Sincerely,
Rodney West Interim Fire Chief, Houston Fire Department “Santa’s Vacay” Once you forgive me and my attempt at By Paul Box poetry, please accept my heartfelt thanks from everyone at HFD and the thousands of families The PODs were delivered, For over a month, The cards have been issued, you helped have a joyous holiday. I have said this many times but it is always true...we can- To the stations with care. Of sorting and shopping. The countdown is done. not do this without you. You and your efforts With hopes they’d be filled, And gathering toys, Step up to the tables, are what drive Operation Stocking Stuffer to With toys to share. Kept HFD hopping. Each and every one. new heights each and every year. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Year twenty fifteen Crisscrossing the city, The cowbells were ringing, I also want to give a very special thanks to all St. Nick will remember. Logging hundreds of miles. The families were happy. the members of the Public Affairs team who For he got some time off, The Public Affairs team, About 600 an hour, went out and collected all of these toys. Our In the month of December. Collecting with smiles. Now that’s pretty snappy. small band of merry elves traveled hundreds of miles all over the Houston area to make this ‘Cause down in Texas, And once the donations, The last toy was gone, happen. This was truly a team effort and could H-Town to be clear. Are stored and transported. And clean up complete. not have happened without you. Scores of people had gathered, Oh heaven’s above, That allowed everyone, Next year will be bigger and better than ever As they do every year. They have to be sorted. To take the load off their feet. but until then, please share this presentation with your office, family, school and customers Operation Stocking Stuffer, By age group and gender, Sponsors and donors, with my sincerest Had everyone busy. The toys are grouped. Volunteers and such. thanks to all. From firemen to lawyers, Then bagged to give out, We can’t do this without you, Until next time, And even Aunt Tizzie. Santa’s helpers are pooped. Thank you so much. all my best for a happy 2016. From oil-field workers, More toys on the way, And to Santa we say, To a family of five. But first have some lunch. “Don’t worry ‘bout next year. Paul All collecting toys, It was donated by, For Houston is covered, For the big toy drive. An incredible bunch. We got it down here.”
Airlines and banks, The toys were readied, The End. Schools and the like. Everyone in their places. The toys kept coming, The big day had arrived, And bike after bike. Engineer Operator Carla Goffney, me and Captain “Let’s put smiles on their faces.” Mundo Olford picking up toys from United Airlines. Underwriters: Sponsors: Sponsors: KPRC Channel Two BHP Billiton Omni Houston Westside Baker and McKenzie First Community Credit Union Rice University-Jones Graduate PODS of Greater Houston KBR School of Business Prosperity Bank 104.1 KRBE FM Shipley Donuts 89.3 KSBJ FM TMK-IPSCO New Light Christian Center Trendmaker Homes Volunteer Lunch Sponsors: Fuddruckers Prosperity Bank David Sewell Farmers Insurance Pershing Middle School 104.1 KRBE FM Spring High School ROTC Department of Public Safety Phoenicia Specialty Foods Los Cucos Mexican Restaurants Strake Jesuit First Community Credit Union Rice University-Jones Graduate Luby’s Target Fox Family Pools School of Business Pappas BBQ Teen and Family Services Frazer LTD Rotary Club of University Phoenicia Specialty Foods TMK- IPSCO Furr High School Row Studios Shipley’s Donuts United Airlines Gordon Food Service S&B Engineers and Constructors Sprinkles Cup Cakes Wood Group Mustang Gulfhaven Adventist Church Shamrock Inn Hatfield & Company Shell/Woodcreek Tierra Caliente Bakery In-Kind Donations: HEB Sheraton Houston West You Squared Media Chick-Fil-A Houston Academy Sinopec USA Inc./Hines COH Special Events Volunteer organizations: Houston Community College Southwest Airlines-Houston Fastsigns Accelerated Productions Houston Scottish Rite Tech. Ops Katz Coffee AdvoCare HP Motorsports Stampede Houston PODS of Greater Houston A Finishing Touch KBR Stern Empire Laboratories PV Rentals Baker and McKenzie KPRC Local Two Stream Realty Target BHP Billiton 104.1 KRBE FM Teen and Family Services of Carlito’s Angels Supporting Agencies: KWI International Memorial CERT Academy Sports and Outdoors Jet Aviation Houston TMK-IPSCO Department of Public Safety Accelerated Production Services Latham & Watkins LLP Tony’s Tires First Community Credit Union Accufleet International Lincoln Property Company Transwestern Gateway to Care ADT Security Services Los Cucos Two Riverway Houston Firefighter Wives AdvoCare Maritime Services United Airlines KBR Alley Theatre McCarty Building Companies University of Houston KPRC Channel Two Beginner’s World Miller Grossbard Advisors Univision Latham & Watkins LLP BHP Billiton Middleton, Raines & Zapata Van TV Marva’s Global Travel BOMA National Multiple Sclerosis The Varnett School Medical Reserve Corps. Capitolio Reception Hall Society Weatherford Memorial Hermann/ Club Pilates Houston Natural Stone Gallery The Westin Memorial City Texans Recovering Together COH Health Department New Light Christian Center Westminster Weekday School NAPW Comfort Dental Care Next Level Athletics Whataburger New Light Christian Center Commerce Towers Omni Houston Westside Wood Group Kenny NLC Cousins Properties Parkway Properties Wood Group Mustang It starts with a poster idea. Then the TV spots are filmed.
KPRC Channel 2 Anchor and great friend to HFD, Jennifer Reyna, Fire Chief Rodney West and the guys filming the TV spot at Station 37.
Nolan had other ideas during the poster photo session.
http://www.click2houston.com/community/operation-stocking-stuffer-2015-toy-drive_20151125214256701 http://www.click2houston.com/news/make-a-difference-with-operation-stocking-stuffer-2015_2015112521485612 http://www.click2houston.com/news/operation-stocking-stuffer-underway-for-annual-toy-drive
HFD Chaplain Garry Blackmon coordinates all of the shopping sprees with our sponsors with the money they donated. Thanks Chap. Great job as always. thank you wal mart for everything you did to help us shop for toys. The Houston Firefighter’s Wives help Chaplain Blackmon shop at the Target at Memorial City Mall while the tour bus for Sunday Night Football is in town.
as we set up in the front, the families set up in the back. some as early as december 21. Ms. Lorugene Young: It started with her. Operation Stocking Stuffer began more than 20 years ago when Ms. Lorugene Young had the idea of a toy drive to benefit Houston’s underprivileged children.
A few years later, seeing the need in the community, Ms. Young approached the Houston Fire Department to see if HFD Fire Stations could act as collection points for the toys so the program could grow. Her vision has now taken her small toy drive to become the largest program of it’s kind in the Houston area.
Although Ms. Young has suffered with major health is- sues in recent years, that did not keep her from coming to the toy giveaway to see her dream come true. From the thousands of those less fortunate and everyone working on Operation Stocking Stuffer, thank you Ms. Young for your unwavering commitment to our children.
The Houston Fire Department’s Op- ProUnitas (sec. 8 Housing) eration Stocking Stuffer Toy Drive not Communities in Schools only provides toys and gifts for the Kids of Incarcerated Parents families at The Great Toy Giveaway, it Avance also assists other charitable organiza- Pear Hall Elementary tions who provide for even more fami- Ban Mateo Episcopal Church lies in need. In 2015 Operation Stock- BP SOS- Domestic Violence Project ing Stuffer worked with the following Cambodian Community agencies: Path to Freedom VanTV Toy drive City Hill Church Neighborhood Centers Ripley House Black Firefighters Association Toy drive Heaven Army Hispanic Caucus Toy Drive Bethany Baptist Church Department of Neighborhoods – Acres Homes Citizen Council Highstar Star of Hope The Block Headstart Program Mouimiento Familiar Cristiano Catholica Hope World Wide Fountain of Praise New Light Christian Center Heart to Health Pearl Ministries Fondren Middle School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8YrFT9Np8c http://www.click2houston.com/community/photos-operation-stocking-stuffer-toy-sorting https://www.facebook.com/OperationStockingStuffer/