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(San Bernardino, CA) Over 500 families were able to pick up toys, food cards, and boxes of food items from the San Bernardino Salvation Army Crops on Thursday and Friday Dec 19 & 20. People lined up by a vacant commercial retail store front located in the 1400 block south “E” Street.

San Bernardino Salvation Army Advisory Board member Jack Katzman, was instrumental in obtaining the distribution location at no cost.

Taking groups of 50 families at a time, gifts for the kids were distributed by the Salvation Army staff and volunteers. Toys from the Giving Tree located at the Inland Center Mall, were sorted, marked, and delivered to each individual family. In addition, toys purchased from funds specified by donors for toys were given to those kids that were not adopted.

Each family was given a box filled with food stuffs; which were collected by the Boy Scouts of America a few weeks ago, and a food card.

Each group of families were given a short explanation on the story of Christmas, and its true meaning, the birth of Jesus Christ. Salvation Army officers lead the groups in some Christmas caroling. All of the toys were given unwrapped, so that they could see what the child was being given.

On Friday night there was a special bicycle distribution. Telemundo Channel 52 (a local Spanish TV Broadcasting station) teamed up with the Vons Foundation, Union Pacific, Curacau financial, Union Bank, CH2MHILL, Comercia Bank, AEG, Los Angeles Hoy, Southern California Gas Company, and The California Wellness Foundation to purchase 50 new bicycles; which were given the San Bernardino Salvation Army for distribution. Families with kids who wanted a bike were asked to return to the toy distribution center for this special bicycle presentation give-a-way.

The bicycles were distributed to both the clients from the San Bernardino Salvation Army Corps and to the Redlands Salvation Army Corps. Clients from the Redlands Salvation Army Corps were presented bicycles from Captain Keolani Lyons; and clients from the San Bernardino Crops were presented bicycles from Salvation Army Major Daniel and Captain Anya Henderson.

Kids were thrilled with their new bicycles, and they could seen riding their new bikes in the parking lot. Each child receiving a bicycle also received a bike helmet.