Holiday toys stolen from Long Beach nonprofit's storage unit

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A Long Beach nonprofit is seeking the public's help after they claim their storage unit was robbed of holiday toys for children in need.

"It devastated me because I do a lot of work," said President of Wrap the Kids Susanna Twaite.

Wrap the Kids has hosted an annual Christmas toy drive for six years. Twaite said that the organization had collected over $1,500 worth of toys that were kept in a storage unit.

"We went to our storage unit last week and when we went in, all of our brand new Christmas decorations and the toys that we had been getting were gone," Twaite said.

Twaite said that this is second year in a row that her storage unit has been robbed. She has yet to file a police report.

Wrap the Kids was founded and is run by people experiencing homelessness. Their mission is to give people a second chance at making a difference.

"Before COVID, we were sewing quilts that we donated to children while getting the homeless back working in the community," Twaite said. "We got vouchers for their IDs, their birth certificates, they can use this as a mailing address."

Twaite said that she is still experiencing homelessness herself, but that won't stop her from giving back this holiday season.

"I think every child should enjoy Santa Claus," she said. "You may not see him in that red suit, but Santa's there."

Twaite said that Wrap the Kids will still be hosting their drive-thru toy drive on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. at 297 E. Artesia Blvd. in Long Beach. For more information or to donate, visit their website.

Follow Rachel on social media:
Facebook.com/abc7rachel
Twitter.com/abc7rachel
Instagram.com/abc7rachel