700 children at Pacoima school borrow toys for holiday season

PACOIMA, Calif. (KABC) -- There was a holiday surprise for students at Telfair Elementary School in Pacoima on Thursday.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services Toy Loan Program sent some of Santa's helpers to hand out toys to 700 children.

The Toy Loan Program allows children to borrow toys once a week in the same manner that books are borrowed from a library. The program says it helps students develop a sense of responsibility and "keeps their spare time wholesomely occupied with a variety of toys."

Organizers said they were moved by learning that Telfair is among the schools with the highest percentage of homeless students in the L.A. Unified School District.