Ventura Police Come Bearing Gifts for Kids

Armed with a long list of names, Ventura police detectives descended on several motels Wednesday, banging on doors, determined to find their guys.

“Good morning. We’re delivering some gifts,” said Ventura Det. Thomas Mendez before the three children in Room 107 of the Mission Bell Motel happily accepted their holiday surprises. “Merry Christmas.”

So it went this chilly Christmas Eve as some members of the Ventura Police Department took a break from nabbing crooks to try to cheer up the dozens of homeless families who live in local motels.

Bearing wrapped fuzzy slippers, water guns, stuffed animals and dolls, the detectives were met at every stop by grateful parents and excited youngsters.

“Well, all right, this sure is nice of you,” said a slightly bewildered Eric Hammar as a slew of officers and a photographer greeted him at his door. “This helps us out a lot. We’re still trying to get on our feet.”

The 38-year-old Hammar, wife Jenny and their three children have been living in a cramped room at the Mission Bell Inn for about two months, but the family has been homeless since the couple lost their jobs in New Mexico more than a year ago, he said.

“We try to stay positive and stay close,” Hammar said. “Last year, we were sleeping in our car; this year we’re here. Next Christmas, hopefully, we’ll have our own house.”

The Hammars’ predicament has become increasingly common in Ventura County, where 51% of those in shelters last year were women and children, pressing the need for year-round family shelters.

According to a report released in June by the Ventura County Homeless and Housing Coalition Fund, there is room for just 60 homeless families in the county’s network of transitional shelters. A survey in February found 437 homeless people living in shelters.

When police and volunteers were trying to determine how many toys would be necessary for the Christmas gifts, they found that in the city of Ventura there are at least 65 children living in motels.

Three-year-old Kelsey Holt is one of those.

She and her mom were returning from grocery shopping when the officers surprised Kelsey with a set of toy horseshoes and a Magna Doodles game.

Her mother, Mindy, said she was relieved because her Christmas gifts had been limited to small items such as an electronic toothbrush and toothpaste.

“This is nice,” Holt said. “She’s really surprised.”

Officers said the Christmas giveaway was an outgrowth of a program established several years ago by Det. Pat Stevens to assist victims of crime during the holidays.

Stevens decided that this year the fund, which comes largely from donations by police officers and staff, would also help the city’s homeless kids.

Stevens helped compile a list of children who lived in motels. A month later, volunteers had come up with a filled stocking and at least two toys for every child on their list.

“There are so many needy kids out there and they really are the victims of circumstance,” Stevens said. “It’s really nice to be able to help them.”

Today, the police chief, assistant chief and lieutenants -- who annually patrol on Christmas morning to allow officers extra time with their families -- will be delivering the remainder of toys to the children, Stevens said.

Kathy Smith, a 42-year-old supermarket cashier who lives at the Bayshore Inn with her three children, ages 11, 7 and 5, was moved to tears when the detectives knocked on her door.

“You know what?” Smith said. “For the last couple of years I haven’t been able to give my kids a Christmas. I think they’re awesome people for doing this.”

A few seconds later, 7-year-old Shasta ran out of the room to show off her neon-green Monsters Inc. slippers, complete with large, black claws.

Her mother laughed through her tears. “That’s funny. The one thing she asked for was slippers.”