The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Toys For Tots dealing with effects of virus pandemic
Lorain County Toys For Tots is asking folks for some more help as it continues a collection to provide presents for children in need this Christmas.
“Our events and collection sites are being cancelled with everything that is going on with everyone else related to the (novel coronavirus) pandemic,” said Christy Howard, coordinator for Lorain County Toys for Tots. “Normally by now, we just have a lot more than we do.
“It’s not just toy donations, but monetary as well. We usually have thousands of dollars by now, and I think I counted just $2,000 so far.
“Toys are down. We’ve gone to doing wish lists on Amazon and Walmart’s website, so people don’t have to go out and shop.”
Howard said the big decline has been the collection sites due to COVID-19.
“Generally, we would contact collection sites and the events from last year and have them sign up again, and then we would look for new locations,” she said. “Normally, about now we have about 100 sites signed up, and we only have 70. We are calling other sites right now, but some sites are not doing it because it’s an added thing on their books.”
Howard said Toys For Tots has had to restrict shopping with the pandemic.
“We do have signs up this year, but they are different this year, unfortunately, because we can’t allow our parents to shop,” she said. “So, we have to get everything in advance and bag it for them.
“The monetary donations help with the older kids that may not want a toy and want something more specific, but it’s down in every way this year.”
Howard said Toys For Tots is looking for new, unopened toys.
“It’s new toys that we
collect,” she said. “We are reaching out to family and friends who know people.
“It’s networking. It’s about finding businesses and individuals who can help us by possibly setting up a fundraiser, a collection site or so forth. The online shopping and online donations we have put out via Facebook and other online contacts to see who can help.”
Howard said Toys for Tots’ website has all the information people need to help out.
“We do have our online donation site, so look up Lorain County Toys for Tots on Facebook and it will tell you how to make a monetary donation and how to go
shopping for toys,” she said. “They can also visit the Lorain County Toys for Tots’ website (https://north-ridgeville-oh.toysfortots.org/).
“That has the collection sites as well; Cabela’s (35685 Chester Road, Avon) and Five Below (35852 Detroit Road) are big sites for us and we also get help from local VFWs.”
Howard said it means a lot to a child to have a toy on Christmas.
“Toys for Tots has been around since 1947, and it provides a brand new toy to children if they need it,” she said. “The way I always think of it is when the kids go back to school in January, the first thing the teachers have them do is write about what they got
for Christmas.
“We don’t want there to be a kid that has to lie about it or make something up. If we can give them at least one toy, which we always give them more than one toy, if they have at least one toy to write about, that has made someone’s Christmas.”
For information on how to donate online and in-person, as well as shopping information and links for wish lists on Amazon and Walmart’s website, visit https://north-ridgeville-oh. toysfortots.org/ or call 440508-6547 or email loraincounty@toysfortots.org.
Dec. 11 is the deadline for in-person toy donations, but online donations will be ongoing.