By Esther Cruz
Staff Writer
The Bulletin recently sat down for a question-and-answer session with a Cal State Dominguez Hills police officer who has participated in the Toys for Tots program for the past two years.
He shared how his partnership with the program came about and what he is doing to encourage the campus community to get involved.
What is your name and title?
My name is Guillermo Espinoza. I am a police officer assigned to patrol campus.
What inspired you to get involved in the Toys for Tots program?
I know there are a lot of children that don’t receive gifts during the holiday season because of their parents’ financial situation. I see this as an opportunity for us to help needy children within our own campus community.
How did you put the whole thing together?
I knew about the national Toys for Tots program and reached out to David Gamboa (CSUDH’s assistant vice president for external relations) on our campus in 2014. I wanted to know if we could participate as part of the Toys for Tots Drive. We discussed how the CSUDH police department and the campus would be a toy drop-off location.
What did you think of the outcome of the event?
This is the third year we participated in the event. Last year we received more toys then the previous year. We were also asked to assist with toy distribution at a local hospital. It gave me tremendous satisfaction, to see the joy on the kids’ faces when we handed them a holiday gift.
Do you like being involved with your community?
Yes. It’s important that we work together with our community, not only to make it a safer place, but also to help each other out with events, such as the toy drive that benefits children in need during the holiday season.
Do you plan on doing it again this year?
Yes. We plan on doing this as an annual event.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I want to thank everyone that assisted and participated in our toy drive. I want to give special thanks to all of the campus community members that donated toys for the event. I also want to thank my fellow police officers for their help and support.
