It’s been a wild few days for the local Toys for Tots. After the theft of a semi-truck of toys, our community stepped up from local business to generous donations from residents.
“We have maybe the best community on planet Earth. People say that and you think it’s just something that people say and you get used to saying it. But when you see it firsthand like we are seeing it, you get to see firsthand how wonderful and how caring our community is,” coordinator Gregg Gardiner said.
Several local businesses offered to match community donations, some as high as ten thousand dollars. Several local businesses offered to match community donations, some as high as ten thousand dollars.
But for Toys for Tots, no donation is too big, nor too small like one resident’s gift.
“We had one gentlemen who came by our office this week after hearing about what happened. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a $20 bill. And you can tell this was difficult for him. You could just tell. This money meant a lot to him,” Gardiner said. “And he said to me ‘eighteen years ago, I received a donation from toys for tots as a child. When I saw what happened to you, I had to do something. That’s the spirit of Christmas.”
That holiday spirit that was also shared in McKinleyville as the Arcata Fire District collected donations for disadvantaged kids.
“It’s a beautiful program and it’s a beautiful experience to be a part of it. I’ve been looking forward to it all year. I’m excited for it all the time,” Arcata Fire District engineer Ja’Shawn Fields, Jr. said. “I think the best part of it is that we don’t really know any of the people that are going to receive these things. It’s all just from the goodness of our heart.”
And these toys will be going to families struggling financially when they need it the most to brighten up the season.
“And what we don’t want to have happen is for that children not to experience that same joy that you and I did. What we’re hoping for is to send that message and that message is the message of hope. We want to deliver that message so people know that we’re here. That we care about them,” Gardiner said.
Every donation in our area – stays in our area.
Toys for tots is also looking for volunteers to help with their upcoming distribution in McKinleyville this Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
