Houston – After 41 years of helping children and families across the Houston area during Christmas, the non-profit Blue Santa Program announced its coming to an end.
Operation Blue Santa announced it will end its holiday efforts after being informed by the Houston Police Department that officers can no longer legally provide resources to support the program.
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That includes providing space, vehicles, compensatory time, allowing officers to conduct Blue Santa business while on duty, or using any department resources for the program.
Without that institutional support, program leaders say continuing operations was not possible.
Laura Reyes, a Blue Santa board member, reflected on what the program meant to those who ran it.
“We are proud and honored by how we evolved the Blue Santa Program through the years to serve children and their families throughout the year,” she said.
Blue Santa began in 1984 after Houston police officers responded to a shoplifting call and discovered a man was attempting to provide Christmas gifts for his children.
Over time, the program grew into a large-scale community effort supported by officers and volunteers.