TSA team at Philadelphia International Airport collected 12 boxes and bags of gifts for the Toys for Tots program

TSA team at Philadelphia International Airport collected 12 boxes and bags of gifts for the Toys for Tots program

The TSA team at Philadelphia International Airport recognized that the holiday season was likely to be rough on children whose families were struggling during the pandemic due to so many job losses in the region and they wanted to do something about it, so they conducted a Toys for Tots drive that resulted in collecting about twice as many toys this year as in years past.

“There was an amazing outpouring of support” during the month-long collection period, which collected 12 large Marines Toys for Tots boxes, said Shawn Jones, TSA’s Model Workplace Program Manager. TSA employees contributed toys for children of all ages through Toys for Tots boxes throughout the airport. Lead TSA Officer Larry Dorns collected cash donations from each shift and offered to do the shopping to fill the donation boxes, Jones said, adding that the employee union also generously contributed to the collection.

“The TSA team here at Philadelphia has heart,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s federal security director for Philadelphia International Airport. “Not only are they dedicated to the mission of ensuring safe travel for people who choose to fly during this pandemic, but they recognize that there are others who live in our very neighborhoods who are less fortunate and they have taken action to help ensure that area youngsters will have a joyful holiday.”

“We wanted to give back to the community,” Jones said. “We haven’t forgotten how the community supported us during the government shutdown and 35-day furlough. There have been numerous newscasts showing families that are food insecure and one can only imagine the type of Christmas the children in those families might experience,” Jones said. “We wanted to make a difference for those families, for those children.”

Featured

  • Live From ISC West 2023: Day 1

    ISC West 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada, has officially begun! Make sure to keep an eye on Security Today’s ISCW Live 2023 page, as well as our associated Twitter accounts—@SecurToday and @CampusSecur—for the latest updates from the show floor at the Venetian Expo. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • It Happened Again

    Just yesterday (as of this writing), it happened again. A 28-year-old woman shot her way into a Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday and killed three children and three adults, according to national news. AP News reports that the victims were three 9-year-old children, a top school administrator, a substitute teacher, and a school custodian Read Now

  • Let's Get to Work

    You are standing at the conference center doors just waiting to get into the exhibit hall. I know you are because I’m standing next to you. This week at ISC West has been three years in the making. Last year was encouraging, and here we are waiting for the Big Show. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • Using Modern Technology

    Using Modern Technology

    Workplace violence is a serious and growing challenge for many organizations — including those in the healthcare industry. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • ALTO Neoxx Electronic Padlock

    ALTO Neoxx Electronic Padlock

    Built to withstand all access control needs, the tough new SALTO Neoxx electronic padlock takes security beyond your expectations. 3

  • PDK IO Access Control Software

    PDK.IO Access Control Software

    ProdataKey now allows for "custom fields" within the interface of its pdk.io software. Custom fields increase PDK's solutions' overall functionality by allowing administrators to include a wide range of pertinent data associated with each user. 3

  • LenelS2 BlueDiamond™ mobile app

    enelS2 has introduced its Indoor Location subscription-based service for businesses and other organizations using LenelS2’s BlueDiamond™ mobile app version 2.1.8 for smartphones. 3