It’s that time of the year again, where families begin to prepare for the magic of Christmas. And one organization has made it their mission to make it extra special for thousands of kids in our area, Toys for Tots.
For months, volunteers gather donations, look for the perfect gifts and spend many hours wrapping presents to hand them out to children in need.
All this is part of Toys for Tots’ mission to make sure that every child has a reason to smile on Christmas morning.
Background: A Marine Mission Born at a Dinner Table
Toys for Tots began in 1947, when a Marine major and his wife created a program to support widows and orphans after World War II. What started as an idea at a dinner table grew into a national effort run by the Marine Corps Reserve.
Dennis Wait, head coordinator of Toys for Tots for Alachua, Dixie, Levy and Gilchrist counties, said the mission has remained rooted in Marine values.
“This program is worthwhile. This gives us purpose during times when, you know, we may not have a need for the Marine Corps as far as fighting battles,” he said. “So the Toys for Tots mission was started then, and it absolutely is still a Marine mission.”
Wait’s first Christmas with Toys for Tots was in 1996 when he was a Marine Corporal.
Local campaigns are typically run through Marine Reserve Units, but since North Central Florida does not have one nearby, the toy drive is run completely by volunteers.
The National Organization is overseen by a Marine general who makes sure all the local toy collection campaigns have what they need to create a magical Christmas for families in need.
“They give us our marching order every year to make sure this mission is completed,” Wait said.
Collecting toys is the main mission for the regional units.
Tracking donation money is the main job of the national organization, so donors can be confident their contributions are used responsibly.
“The vast majority of all funds raised by Toys for Tots goes to the children, with just a small portion going to operating costs,” Wait said. “For the individual that is donating and for the community, it’s nice to know that your money is going to the kids.”
How Toys are Collected: Donations and Drop-Boxes
For years, toy stores helped to support the Toys for Tots toy collection mission.
“When we had toy stores, boxes would get put in front of stores, and families would go in there to buy toys for their children, and they would remember to buy toys for Toys for Tots,” Wait said.
Now, the program relies on community drop boxes and monetary donations .
“We collect two different ways,” Wait said. “People donate money, and we go shopping using their money, which all stays local. The other way is through the local community,” Wait said.
Some stores still allow donation boxes at their entrances, like Ollie’s, who is a national partner for Toys for Tots.
Bigger store chains like the local Walmarts and Targets do not allow donation boxes but they financially contribute to the cause.
“They still support us,” Wait said. “They just have to support us in a different way.”
Local businesses also contribute in other ways. Floral Expressions, a flower shop in Gainesville, stores extra boxes so other businesses can pick them up.
Keeping Donations Local
Technology has also made it easier for people to donate without having to buy a toy. Wait said donors should use the QR code for their local campaign.
“If you want the money to stay here, you have to use our local code,” he said.
Through the Newberry Toys for Tots campaign website, people can also request toys, donate or apply to host a drop box.
Registration to receive toys opened on Oct. 1 and closes Nov. 14.
“I tell families, put that date in your calendar,” Wait said. “That gives us about one month to prepare toys for the families that requested it.”
To register, families must fill out an online application and verify their information in person with the SWAG advocacy group or at the Library Partnership Resource Center. Families can also verify their information at local events hosted by Toys for Tots.
Preparing the Gifts
After donations arrive, volunteers begin sorting and bagging toys by gender and age groups. They refer to this phase as “the workshop.”
Michelle Nhoades, who has served five years as assistant coordinator for Alachua County, volunteers alongside her husband, a Marine veteran.
“It’s a ton of work, and this is just the beginning of it,” Nhoades said.
Nhoades described Toys for Tots as her “labor of love.”
For some, this becomes a family affair. Wait said his wife, Nicole, an Air Force veteran, is known for adding extra care to each bag.
“She is all in on this,” he said. “In fact, you want her to make your bag because she picks the extra special toys. She has a huge heart.”
Volunteers sometimes work up to the last minute.
“I’ve even come in on Christmas morning and bagged for somebody that I found out didn’t have toys for their children, and I took it to them,” Nhoades said.
Beverly Goodman, the Assistant Coordinator for the Tri County area, said the older children are the most forgotten.
“People tend to forget the 10- to 12-year-olds,” Goodman said.
For this particular age group Wait suggests donating Bluetooth headphones, small devices or backpacks for the preteens.
Distribution: Delivering Christmas Joy
Distribution for the Tri-County region takes place in Chiefland, in a Walmart parking lot on December 19. In Gainesville, it will be held at City Light Church on December 20. City Light not only serves as a distribution site, but also as a storage and packaging space.
“City Light Church is one of our huge partners. It is pastored by a Marine, and they are just such great supporters of Toys for Tots,” Wait said.
Last year, Nhoades said the program served about 4,500 children across the four counties.
“This year we are expecting at least that much, if not a little more, just because of the government shutdown and the economy right now,” Nhoades said.
And although financial hardships can change from year to year, as does the need, one thing never changes, according to Nhoades: Families are always so thankful.
“The parents are just so grateful,” she said. “The kids will come up and hug us around the legs. They’re just little guys and girls. And that is what makes it all worth it, because every child deserves some Christmas.”
She said children shouldn’t have to go without because of their family’s financial situation.
“They don’t understand finances, they don’t understand, you know, that times are tough,” she said. “That’s not for a child to understand.”
And sometimes that difficulty comes as a result of a tragic event. Wait recalled helping a family who lost their home in a fire right before Christmas.
“We couldn’t give them much, but we gave them toys,” he said. “Imagine being a parent and losing everything, but at least still being able to provide Christmas for your children.”
He added that it is not uncommon to see parents and children crying tears of joy and that volunteers are always there to offer comfort.
“Hugs are always free,” he said.
The Family
Volunteers come from different backgrounds. Some are veterans; others simply want to support the mission. Many, including Wait’s children, have grown up serving in the program.
“It really is a family,” Wait said.
The work continues even after distribution, as late-season donations help prepare for the following year.
“The reality is we will take toys until Christmas,” Wait said.
The toys that aren’t distributed in time are saved for the next Christmas.
Wait says that he is lucky to serve this community, and he hopes to inspire future generations to continue his family’s labor of love.