“A really good saying is, it takes a tribe to do anything and I do think it takes a community to make sure that everybody lives a happy and prosperous life,” says Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots volunteer Sgt. Sara Gates.
Volunteers spent the day organizing thousands of toys collected from the community. The toy drive’s organizer says he thinks they’ll have even more than last year and he hopes to have 11 nonprofits help with the distribution, compared to around seven non-profits from last year. This will be the second and last Toys for Tots event ever coordinated by Sgt. Alec Smith and he hopes to make this year better than the last.
“I can’t thank the community enough for all of their support this year,” Smith said. “We’ve really needed it because along with the increase in donations, we also have an increase in the number of families that are in need.”
“It’s incredibly important to provide a good Christmas and make sure that every kid feels special,” says Gates.
Gates has been volunteering for Toys for Tots for almost a decade. Her work comes full circle as someone who also comes from an underprivileged background.
“My parents went through hard times when I was a kid,” says Gates. “They actually did go through Toys for Tots for quite a few years to get us Christmas presents.”
Volunteers say they look forward to seeing all the smiles from families during the distribution weekend.
“That’s the bread and butter. I mean that’s why you do it,” says Toys for Tots volunteer Sgt. Blake Vest. “You go out there and just, the look on their face is thank you, merry Christmas. It’s awesome going up to the families and just seeing how grateful they are and just knowing that it’s impacting the community is a wonderful thing I think.”
The last two distribution days will be this weekend, starting Saturday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Distribution of toys concludes on Sunday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information, visit here.
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