Christmas Spirit Is Theft-Proof in 2 Cities

Volunteers in two cities hustled on Christmas Day to raise new donations after thieves stole thousands of dollars’ worth of food and toys collected for the needy.

In Chicago, the Paul Hall Community Services Center was still accepting food and toys Monday, after 200 turkeys and 500 toys collected for a Christmas Eve giveaway were stolen.

“We’ve had calls and people coming in from all over the city,” Frank Campbell, of the center, said. “It’s really been something to see . . . . We’ll be here giving out food until everything runs out.”

“People are coming in with five and six turkeys,” he said. “The people who are donating are very angry, because the vandals . . . stole from people who have nothing.”

On the other side of the city, a mysterious Santa Claus dropped off toys and stuffed animals Sunday at a police station. The officers were instructed to give the gifts to the Rose of Sharon Baptist Church, which burned to the ground Friday. The fire destroyed toys that had been collected for needy members.

“It’s a surprise for us,” police Capt. William LeFleur said. “He didn’t even want to tell us his name.”

In Atlanta, the hungry and the homeless were served pizza for the Christmas feast because turkeys and a lot of trimmings were stolen shortly before the meal was to begin.

“Luckily, people have answered our radio plea and are bringing food to us,” said Elizabeth Williams-Omilami, daughter of civil rights leader Hosea Williams, who organized the dinner. They had estimated earlier that they could feed 40,000 people and still insisted they could feed everyone who showed up.

Gifts and cards for those wounded last week in the U.S. invasion of Panama poured into military hospitals in San Antonio, Ft. Bragg, N.C., and Ft. Lewis, Wash. Soldiers recovering at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio exchanged presents with relatives in rooms reserved for visiting, said Staff Sgt. Rey Adame of the hospital staff.

In Panama, U.S. servicemen lined up before television cameras to wish their families a merry Christmas via a nationwide broadcast.

Col. John Richardson, who was leading a task force of troops from Camp Lejeune near Jacksonville, N.C., told the Charlotte Observer from Panama on Sunday: “As far as Christmas goes, this is it, folks. No sign of Bob Hope.”

In New York City, Mayor-elect David N. Dinkins attended a Christmas dinner for 1,500 homeless people at the Sheraton Centre Hotel.

Calvin Copeland, owner of Copeland’s restaurant in Harlem, gave a Christmas party for 300 underprivileged children at the restaurant. More than 200 volunteers from God’s Love, We Deliver were bringing home-cooked meals to AIDS patients throughout the city.

An Ashland, N. H., man with a generous dose of the Christmas spirit gave his brother a lottery ticket worth $8.9 million. Patricia Vallieres, owner of Luff’s Corner Cupboard, which sold the ticket, said the purchaser picked up the ticket for his brother and gave it to him even though it won the near-record jackpot.

The brothers’ names were withheld pending verification of the ticket.