Street Doctor Delivers Christmas to Newark Families

Just call him Doctor Christmas.

Earl "The Street Doctor" Best spent the latter part of Tuesday making door-to-door deliveries after running out of toys early into his annual gift giveaway at Newark City Hall.

The entire supply of 1,000 toys was gone in about 30 minutes, according to Best, who then took down residents' phone numbers so they wouldn't have to celebrate the holiday empty handed.

"I gotta make it happen," said Best, donning a black, pinstripe suit and hat. He vowed to gather up more toys and personally deliver them to Newarkers Tuesday afternoon.

The variety of toys, including miniature cars and coloring books, were donated by a host of groups, including local clergy members, city council members and Newark Now, which held at the John F. Kennedy Recreation Center.

Best, an ex-convict-turned-community activist who , is well known throughout the city for his philanthropic work. In September, he and a slew of volunteers to young school children.

But for Shandoria Johnson, Best went from being a stranger to becoming her mentor last year when she was homeless after moving to Brick City from Hawaii. Best helped Johnson secure a room at a boarding house and enroll at Berkeley College to obtain her degree, she said.

"People know him as a father and a healer," said Johnson, a volunteer Tuesday.