Green Santa

This year, the Prince of Peace Council 7983 assisted the Green Santa in delivering toys and shoes to approximately 30 children.The San Antonio Park Ranger Association initiated the Green Santa Program in 1983.Park Ranger Division management and Parks & Recreation management saw Green Santa as a positive way to promote good community relations with the Park Rangers so they readily agreed to have Green Santa participate at recreation center events during the Christmas holiday season every year since.

Initially Green Santa appeared at community centers to give candy to the kids and take their photo with him.In 2002, when the Park Rangers became Park Police, they collected gifts and money from Park Police officers to have enough gifts for the needy kids.Green Santa and assisting uniformed Park Police officers delivered the gifts to the kids at their home.Today, they service about 50 children, both at the recreation center and the Navarro Center; a place where teenage mothers can take their children for free day care while they attend high school.

These children are not aided by any other program, such as:Angel Tree, Toys for Tots, etc.The Council was able to also provide diapers and clothes for babies at the Navarro Center.One mother at the Navarro Center had used her last diaper and was not sure what she would do but when she picked up her child, Green Santa was able to provide her, the other mothers with a month’s worth of diapers, clothes, etc.

If not for Council 7983, the officers would have had to take this money out of their own pockets and might not have been able to service all of the children.Council 7983 looks forward to make this a larger community effort showing the Light of Christ and exhibiting the Reason for the Season.