Toys for Tots Rings In a Season of Giving





Christmas toys bring smiles to the faces of children.

 

By Sharon Rose


      Toys for Tots was started in December, 1947 by a United States Marine and his wife.  Sixty-four years later it is still around, serving under-privileged children at Christmas.  Toys for Tots serves all 50 states of the United States; Washington, District of Colombia; Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.  The Marines are still in charge of this non-profit, community-based organization, and need our help to fill all the toy requests that have come in.  Applications have increased, over the years, and today an average of 16 million toys, to an average of 7 million children are distributed each year at Christmas.  Impressive!  In years passed, I have been a Toys for Tots volunteer, for many years at a time, and can attest to the need, goodwill, and just how hard everyone associated with it works to get the toys out to children in need.  They are in need of new, unwrapped toys.  Collections will go on through December 22nd, depending on the area you live in.  Please donate to Toys for Tots.  There are some children that will not have toys at Christmas if we do not donate.  This is a great time at which we can teach a lesson on the joy of giving to our own children.  Allow them to pick out a toy for another child; to give without receiving.  This will help grow a giving heart within them.

      Go to http://www.toysfortots.org/ for a schedule of drop-off sites and deadlines.  Toys should only be dropped off at authorized sites that are listed on the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation website.  Phone numbers are available there.  Enter your state, then city or county to get specific information for the area in which you reside.



Copyright, Toys for Tots Rings in a Season of Giving, Sharon Rose, Parents Want to Know 101, December 16, 2011, all rights reserved.