TIFFIN — For the 26th year, retired police officer Juan Santiago is seeking donations for his annual DVIP (Domestic Violence Intervention Program) Holiday Drive, which asks for non-violence-oriented toys, new or slightly used toys, and cash donations or gift cards for teens.
“I’ve been doing this because in my youth, I was one of those kids living in domestic violence situations during the holidays and rarely got anything. I swore to myself as an adult I would try to help families in those situations as much as possible.”
The drive starts Friday, Nov. 25 and runs through Thursday, Dec. 22 with drop off locations at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and North Liberty Police Department, Lotus Salon & Spa in Coralville, Dodge Street Tires in Iowa City, SYNcere Printing in Tiffin, and New Leaf Wellness Center in Coralville. As of press time, other locations were pending.
The DVIP, in Iowa City, provides free and confidential services to Cedar, Des Moines, Henry, Iowa, Johnson, Lee, Van Buren, and Washington Counties. DVIP can be reached at 1-800-373-1043 with the promise of safety and dignity, always, for people needing a way out of domestic violence situation. For additional information about DVIP, and how to help the program, go to https://dvipiowa.org.
For more information about the Holiday Drive, contact Juan Santiago, 319-430-2388 or [email protected].