Toys for Tots

Sad sad times for a wonderful organization that brings a little joy into the lives of needy families and children.

I get to write the checks for a charitable foundation that benefits homeless kids, and when the local Marine Corp rep got our check this year, he was practically crying when he called to say they are short by hundreds of thousands of toys this year. That means hundreds of thousands of kids who will get nothing this holiday season.

I know how hard this season is for so many here, but if you're one of the fortunate who has an extra few bucks, please consider picking up a new toy and donating it at one of the many Toys for Toys locations. Someone will thank you more than you can imagine.

 

I'm picking up some Legos today for this. Sadly, it'll be a smaller box than the last coupla years. I'm just tight on funds.

It is a fantastic organization, 21.

 

So I looked up a drop-off point and hit Wal-Mart for some toys. Get to the drop-off and was told the Marines picked up this morning. Argh. You would think they would give people through the weekend to shop and donate. Now I've got to find a different organization that's collecting. Any suggestions?

 

Try a homeless shelter. Also, your county welfare department might know of a non-profit that accepts toys for needy kids. A group I'm in raises enough money every year to totally do Christmas for a couple families. It's great.

 

A few people from office every year "adopt" a local family for the holidays -- usually a family connected through the women's shelter -- pool together the piggy banks and try to give the family a Christmas they otherwise wouldn't have. Very worthwhile, and you know it goes to help someone in the community.

 

We've given our toy already.......but I wish it was easier to donate used toys. We have plenty that have barely been used, my friends have 10x what my family has.......and yet it's very difficult to give these toys away to organizations. Actually, most of my son's toys are used....hand me downs from my friends with older kids.

I understand the joy of opening a new toy for Christmas.....but what's better, opening 1 new toy, or 1 new toy and 5-6 "used" toys?

 

I think for Christmas, they really want to make sure the kids have the same kind of experience that more fortunate people have, so that's why the new toys for Christmas. I suspect that if you go to a homeless or women's shelter at other times of the year, they'd love some gently used toys.

 

I always wind up writing several checks to Toys For Tots over the course of the year because it absolutely kills me to think of a kid getting nothing for Christmas. Even if you get something small, it's still <b>yours</b> and that counts for something. So they send pitches in the mail, and I try to send them some money.

We also did that thing where you pick a paper ornament off a tree and there's an anonymous kid's request. We got a seven-year-old boy who wanted baseball and football stuff. Got him a bunch of stuff, and it was the best money we spent last year. This year the tree was picked clean by the time we got to it, which was disappointing in one way, but encouraging in a bigger way.

The thought of a kid having to consider Christmas as just another day saddens me beyond all reason. We had some modest years when I was a kid, but there was always something.

 

One of the best feelings I get around Christmas is buying a gift for a child through the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program.

 

We've been part of an angel tree program for years at church. Nothing beats seeing the kids from last year opening their presents. It is an amazing feeling.