News Release
December 29, 2005
Contact: DEA Public Affairs

Every Year DEA Kicks in the Doors at a
Local Shelter and Delivers Gifts

New York Field Division Santa Clause and his elves distribute presents to children at the Henry Street Settlement.

For the past ten years shelters throughout the New York community have been receiving visits from Santa and his elves at the DEA. The NYFD has rallied troops of Special Agents, NY State Police, NY Police Detectives and volunteers to donate and wrap hundreds of presents for those in need.

DEA, along with the DEA’s Drug Enforcement Task Force visited the Henry Street Settlement and the Doe Fund's READY WILLING AND ABLE Men's Shelter with presents for all their residents on December 22, 2005. SAC Gilbride states that “our Special Agents at the DEA not only make arrests and enforce drug laws throughout the New York community; come the end of the year, we always try to make the holidays more special for those who are in need by providing them with presents, visits and cheer.”

Over 400 gifts were delivered to the Doe Fund's READY WILLING AND ABLE men's shelter last year and over 500 gifts to the residents at the Henry Street Settlement. This year, the DEA will be providing 60 kids at the Henry Street Settlement with over 800 presents. “This is an ongoing tradition, for the past ten years the DEA and the DETF have worked hard to provide those in need with some holiday joy.” Stated SAC Gilbride.

The Special Agents, NYSP and NYPD all assist in the wrapping and delivery of the presents to the shelters. Once the presents are unloaded, Santa Clause comes to visit and passes out presents to each of the children. This year, the New York Transit Strike caused some alarm to the residents of the shelters for fear that the Strike would prevent Santa from coming, but the DEA didn’t let anyone down.