UPDATED WITH STORY: Filling a Cruiser for Claire House

BAYOU VISTA — On the parking lot at Claire House, a volunteer with a captain’s rank was doing Santa’s work Thursday. Santa’s helpers wore badges.

The presents came not from a sleigh, but from a state police SUV: A make-up kit for a 12-year-old girl. A football and a closet-door basketball goal for a 10-year-old boy. Stuffed animals and various noise-makers for babies still in arms. Rubik’s Cubes for everybody.

“You want that (toy) guitar to go to a 3-year-old girl?” one of the helpers asks.

“She’ll love that guitar,” says another.

Meanwhile, the stacks of toys on the parking lot, sorted by the recipient’s age, grow taller.

Many kids away from home on Christmas worry that Santa won’t find them. But Louisiana State Police officers from Troop C in Houma and Troop I in Lafayette found the half-dozen youngsters at Claire House just fine.

The children were away from home three days before Christmas because their mothers were participating in the Claire House residential substance abuse program.

Claire House, next door to Fairview Treatment Center, accepts women 18 and over with up to four children, said Carla Pellerin, program manager.

While the mothers are working through their substance abuse problems, Pellerin said, they get help with finding a place to live and moving back into the workforce.

“They work on regaining their independence,” Pellerin said.

About half are involved in some sort of child custody proceeding.

The kids live with them while they’re at Claire House, which can make for a difficult Christmas. Enter the troopers.

The toys distributed Thursday were collected through the state police Fill A Cruiser program, said Capt. Lanny Bergeron of Troop C.

There were public donation points, and private sponsors and some money from the Louisiana State Police Troopers Association helped. Troopers also bought toys for Fill A Cruiser, Bergeron said.

“They do this because they care,” Bergeron told the kids before the toys were distributed. “And the community — they care.”

The Troop C troopers who sorted and handed out gifts were Bergeron, Lt. Dustin Richard, Lt. Kevin Resweber, Lt. Troy Landry, Trooper Ross Brennan and Lt. Josh Vanetta. Representing Troop I was Trooper Brodrick Griffin.