Spreading holiday cheer doesn’t have to end with your own friends and family.

After you’ve trimmed the tree and cleared the Amazon shopping cart, there’s an array of ways to become a Tucker family’s Secret Santa through donations of your time or resources. From toy giveaways to volunteering, Tucker’s nonprofits, government agencies, and local businesses are ensuring all Tucker families feel the love this Christmas season.

Omega Support Center’s 9th Annual Holiday Giveaway

Tucker residents can make the season bright by donating to Omega Support Center’s 9th Annual Holiday Giveaway, which benefits children ages newborn to 18 within the Tucker community. New toys, clothing, and other gifts can be dropped off at the center, located at 2002 Montreal Rd., Suite 100, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The toy drive ends Dec. 20. To donate online, visit the Omega website.

Tucker Parks and Recreation Toy Drive

Tucker Recreation Center is inviting residents to bring new, unwrapped gifts to its annual holiday toy drive up until Dec. 21. Collection boxes will be conveniently placed in the main lobby during operating hours. All donations will go toward making the holiday season brighter for local families. The center is located at 4998 Lavista Rd. 

Good Neighbor Christmas Shop

NETWorks Cooperative Ministry has an alternative approach to the popular Giving Tree concept with its Good Neighbor Christmas Shop. The store caters to low-income families seeking new and/or donated items at prices reduced by between 50 percent to 80 percent. 

“This approach allows families to select gifts that they want and can afford, preserving their dignity and empowering them to provide for themselves during the holiday season,” read a message on NETWorks’ website.

The store will be open at Northlake Church of Christ Fellowship Hall, 1625 Cooledge Rd., from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12,  and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13. To donate to the gift store, visit the NETworks website.

Wellroot Family Services Christmas

Tucker-based nonprofit Wellroot Family Services supports more than 1,000 children and caregivers through its programming. Wellroot, formerly known as United Methodist Children’s Home, has supported youth seeking a permanent home since 1871. Though its annual Santa’s Shop toy drive has ended for the season, there are still ways to lend a helping hand. Supporters can donate online, mail a check to Wellroot Family Services, 1967 Lakeside Pkwy., Suite 400, Tucker, GA 30084, or
search the Amazon Wish List for gift and general items.

DeKalb County Police Department Winter Clothing Drive

If clearing the closet for good is more your thing, DeKalb County Police Department’s Winter Clothing Drive will be the best bet. From 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Dec. 16, residents are welcome to donate new and gently used coats, clothes, and shoes at 1960 West Exchange Pl.

Winter Wishes Toy Giveaway

Tehlirian Law Group, in partnership with 404 ReadyMix and JLAW.Tips Holiday Giveback, will offer hot plates to families, free toys, and interactive holiday activities for the whole family from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, at RC Fitnez Studio, located at 1983 Brockett Rd. The event is seeking volunteers to assist with serving food and hosting the hot chocolate bar, ornament-making station, and the Santa photo booth. Sign up to volunteer here.

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DeKalb County School District officials will meet with principals about proper protocol around ICE raids after community members voiced concerns about immigration protocols at a DeKalb County meeting.

During a Dec. 8 DeKalb County School Board meeting, several people spoke out about issues with protecting children and their families in the case of illegal ICE raids. The topic arose after reports that administrators at Doraville’s Sequoyah Middle School advised teachers to remain silent and avoid sharing resources about immigration with families.

Nadia Behizadeh, a member of the National Council of Teachers of English, was the last speaker of the night to denounce Sequoyah’s reported handling of the ICE raids that are affecting many families in the district. A teacher reportedly told Behizadeh that the help hotline for families with questions about ICE had been removed from the school’s website and teachers were instructed not to talk about ICE. The middle school serves more than 1,600 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in Doraville.

“They were told to focus only on teaching content, and part of the rationale to not talk about what is happening in the community was that talking about ICE was making students feel anxious and unsafe,” Behizadeh said.  “I’m extremely concerned that administrators in a mostly Latino-serving school are misplacing the source of anxiety and harm onto the discussion of the ICE raids instead of placing that squarely where it belongs, on the violent ICE raids themselves.”

In a 2025 publication in the Journal of Community Psychology, Emily Lemon and colleagues found that Latinx youth are experiencing emotional harm from spaces that erase their culture, experiences, and struggles.

Miguel Cano, a student at nearby Chamblee High School, also spoke about the dangers of avoiding a topic that he and other DeKalb County students are grappling with along with their typical academic pressures. 

“All I ask is for you to ensure teachers’ ability to support students and to show them how to protect their rights, because at the end of the day, this problem was made by adults, and children shouldn’t suffer for their actions,” Cano said.

Bridgette Allen, area middle schools superintendent, issued an apology to the families about what she describes as a “school meeting related to immigration, ICE agents, and raids.”

 “We apologize if these discussions caused any unnecessary concern for you or your family,” Allen said in a statement. “District leadership is actively reviewing the nature of these discussions, and we will inform you if any new information becomes available.”

On Dec. 10, the district sent a letter to all district families and staff noting that leadership is reviewing the federal developments, monitoring guidance from state and federal agencies, and ensuring schools have the most current and accurate information. Currently, ICE has not made contact with any DeKalb County Schools, Norman Sauce, interim superintendent, said in a statement.

“We are meeting with principals this week to review district protocols,” Sauce said. “Our school staff is aware that all teaching and discussions must align to Georgia K-12 Standards. Staff have also been reminded that if immigration authorities arrive at a school, they must be directed to the school administrator, who will immediately notify the DCSD Police Department and document the visit.”

In the letter, Sauce encouraged students to speak with their school counselors if they need support.

Camila Chiquiza, a Sequoyah Middle alum who also spoke at the board meeting, said the dangers affecting students calls for a broader revision of protocols related to immigration.

“We are in a crisis. Students and family members are being kidnapped and sent to inhumane detention centers where many have died or disappeared to never be heard from again,” Chiquiza said. “It’s imperative for the school district to revise its protocol and adjust to the dangers affecting our students. The school staff must be aware of the steps to follow if ICE breaks the law, as they often do.”

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DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson has appointed Gregory Padrick as chief of police.

Padrick has served the DeKalb County Police Department for 28 years, according to the announcement made on Dec. 10. Since February, Padrick had served as interim police chief after former chief Mirtha Ramos, DeKalb’s first female and longest serving police chief in over 20 years, stepped down.

“Join us in celebrating the appointment of Gregory Padrick as DeKalb County’s new Chief of Police,” Cochran-Johnson said in a statement. “We look forward to his leadership and commitment to public safety as we continue moving our county forward.”

Earlier this year, Cochran-Johnson held a press conference about her plans to invest $10 million in recruitment efforts after the police department had lost hundreds of officers. During the February conference, she noted that staffing was down to 531 officers, and the department needed to have about 1,100.

During a November public safety meeting, Padrick shared that the county invested $8 million in E-911 upgrades to provide state-of-the-art call-taking and dispatching, which has improved the county’s overall on-site call response times by more than 21 percent in eight months. 

Padrick, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and FBI National Academy graduate, previously held key roles across the Uniform Division and Criminal Investigation Division, rising from patrol officer to commander in both areas. His experience spans homicide, auto theft, narcotics, HIDTA, intelligence, and major case investigations, as well as roles in Internal Affairs and the Office of the Chief. 

“I am deeply honored to continue serving the residents of DeKalb County,” Padrick said in a statement. “Our department is filled with exceptional professionals, and I look forward to strengthening public trust, enhancing safety, and advancing innovative policing.”

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Tucker’s final 2025 city council meeting served as an homage to Mayor Frank Auman, who will soon end his tenure as the city’s first mayor. 

A reception, a proclamation granting Auman a key to the city, and several tributes were sprinkled through the evening’s traditional council meeting.

One such tribute came from Allyson Gevertz, DeKalb County Board of Education’s vice chair and District 4 representative, who recalled meeting Auman in 2015 when he was laying the groundwork for Tucker’s cityhood bid.

“I knew at the time that you were amazing and that the grassroots effort with Tucker was going to make Tucker the best city in DeKalb, the best city in Georgia, and you’ve done it,” she said. “I mean, your leadership, it’s been amazing…You have worked with six superintendents at DeKalb County Schools. You have been so patient with us.”

While presenting Auman with his supersized key to the city, District 1 Councilman Roger Orlando said he was inspired by Auman over the years to have the fortitude to represent the 37,000 citizens in the city.

“I would never be mayor unless I could be just like Frank,” Orlando said. “The dedication, the time he puts in, the leadership, the collaboration of reaching out to all of his council members through the years. We didn’t always see eye-to-eye, usually we did…He’s a gracious mayor, insightful mayor, and quite the leader.”

In one of Auman’s last decisions as mayor, he and five Tucker City Council members approved moving forward with plans to fund and complete the Greenway Connector and the Tucker-Northlake Trail. District 1’s Virginia Rece was out of town during the Dec. 8 meeting. 

The Greenway Connector will connect Hugh Howell Road to the South Fork Peachtree Greenway via Tucker Industrial Road and Bibb Boulevard. The project cost, including engineering design, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, and construction, is estimated at $6.5 million, which will be funded primarily via federal grants, with the city being responsible for 20 percent matching funds.

The design of the Tucker-Northlake Trail is nearing completion. Federal funding has been authorized to cover 80 percent of the $2 million for engineering and $9 million for right-of-way acquisition phase.

The multi-use trail will connect downtown Tucker to Northlake Mall. While the total construction cost is estimated to total more than $20 million, staff has applied to the Atlanta Regional Commission to fund the first phase of construction. That portion will include trail routes from Second Street to Brockett Road. 

Auman described decisions like the trail funding as one of the most rewarding parts of his job. Even as he moves beyond his mayoral role, Auman said his commitment to Tucker will not waver.

“When we do build a trail, we get to go walk on it, right? When we pave the road, we get to go drive on it. When we build the Tucker Town Green, we get to run and jump on the moguls and take a picture in front of the tree,” Auman said. “It really is gratifying work…There’s no way, of course, that I did all of this myself. I’m privileged to lead, I’m privileged to have the trust of our council and so many of you in our community.”

Anne Lerner will be installed as the city’s second mayor in a ceremony on Jan. 12.

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One of DeKalb’s oldest high school facilities has been approved for a multi-million dollar modernization.

In a 5-2 vote, the DeKalb County Board of Education approved plans to revamp Druid Hills High School, which has portions of its building dating back 98 years, according to a board of education report.

Druid Hills, built in 1919, requires improvements that would address its aging infrastructure, improve safety, upgrade learning facilities, and ensure compliance with current educational, accessibility, and building standards. The 29 classrooms will remain at the Haygood Drive property, and additional instructional units will be added to the site to house capacity for 1,600 students.

The project revitalization entails adding a four-story building and a two-level parking garage to the property. Currently, the recommendation is to place ninth grade students at the former Avondale High School during the project and keep 10th through 12th graders on campus.

The planning and pre-construction for the project will come through E-SPLOST VI funding around $10 million, Erick Hofstetter, chief operating officer, shared during the meeting. The complete construction project will not exceed $185 million, funded through E-SPLOST VII, pending approval in November 2026.

The plan to revitalize the school has been in the works for several years. 

In 2022, State Superintendent Richard Woods ordered the board to take immediate action on the dilapidated building. However, the board removed the high school from its modernization and rebuilding plan, which led to students shooting a viral video showing water-damaged ceilings and walls, electrical hazards, and plumbing issues and no stall doors in some student bathrooms.

Related story:
• DeKalb board votes to name expanded Dunwoody High School stadium after Ryan Seacrest and his family

At that time and in the Dec. 8 vote, Diijon DaCosta, District 6 board member, rejected the plan to revitalize the campus. DaCosta told Rough Draft Atlanta that his goal is to have a unified board on such topics. He would like to see the same efforts made in other parts of the district, so that modernization plans are “equitable across the board.”

Other board meeting updates:

– The board approved up to a $900,000 contract with vendor Cartwheel, a comprehensive mental health provider, to offer mental health services to staff and students in the DeKalb County School District via a state grant.

– DeKalb County Board of Education approved in a 5-2 vote the naming of the Dunwoody High School stadium after “Wheel of Fortune” host and Dunwoody native Ryan Seacrest. Diijon DaCosta and Tiffany Hogan voted against the measure.

– In Interim Superintendent Norman Sauce’s culture and climate update, it was reported that DCSD has 1,812 fewer out-of-school suspensions than at the same time last year. In-school suspensions also decreased by 640 during the same time period.

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