By Noe Ortega
With Christmas just around the corner, the East Los Angeles College Administration of Justice Department will host the 20th annual Christmas Toy Drive next Wednesday at F9-107.
The toy’s given to the AJ department will be donated to foster children of all ages in the Los Angeles area.
The AJ department is teaming up with the Children’s Law Center of California for this event. The drive accepts toys, clothes, money and they said that they don’t mind accepting any item over another.
Wayne Posner, AJ vice chair , said that the department is very big on doing events that give back to the community.
“Last year we had around 1,250 toys. We’re hoping to get as much this year. Student’s bring in toys, students donate money, faculty kick in money and we take the toys to the children’s law center,” said Posner.
Posner started the toy drive with AJ professor Patrick Hauser, who was the chair of the department at the time.
“We started this drive 20 years ago. I was the head of the department and then I hired him (Posner) and now we’re the Godfathers of this event,” said Hauser.
Posner said that all the full time and some of the adjunct professors in the department donate either money or toys every year.
The AJ department also hosts an annual Thanksgiving food drive that has also been going for the past 20 years.
“This year we were able to feed 195 families a complete Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, everything that goes with it,” said Posner.
Posner said that they also donate blood to Huntington hospital two or three times a year as well as participating in bone marrow drives in the past years.
“I was a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department for a long time. I retired as a sergeant and I always believed in giving back to the community and service to the community. We’re trying to get across to our students to (give) service to our community (because) that’s the careers that they’re getting themselves into,” said Posner.