Toys For Tots needs storage space

Thursday, October 22, 2009
By Mary Reeves

Halloween is next week, Thanksgiving is next month, and before you know it, Christmas will be here. No one knows how the time will fly between then and now more than USMC retired Col. Ken Crowell, who heads up the area's Toys for Tots campaign. U.S. Marines work with local firefighters to collect new toys to give to underprivileged children who might not otherwise have Christmas presents, but before the toy drive has even begun, the organizers need some help.

"We need a place to store the toys," said Crowell.

Because there are usually many toys given, including bicycles, the storage space needs to be large.

Then, as soon as the storage facility is secure, the Marines and firefighters will need more help -- filling it.

"We're really scared this year," he said. "The economy is so bad, I don't know how much we are going to get and we can only give out what we receive."

Major donors in the past have been slow to respond this year, he said, not only in providing toys, but in providing drop-off locations for the toys.

"It's not coming together like it has in the past," he said.

In the past, firefighters would repair broken or old toys that had been donated, but these days, because of liability issues, the gifts must be new, in their original packaging, and unwrapped. Firefighters joined forces with the Marines, who have been operating Toys for Tots since 1947.

Toys for Tots began in 1947 when Maj. Bill Hendricks of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and a group of Marine reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. The 1947 pilot project was so successful the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into a nationwide campaign. That campaign, also shifted to giving new toys.

"Distributing 'hand-me-down' toys does not send the message Marines want to send to needy children," states the official web site at toysfortots.org. "The goal is to deliver a message of hope, which will build self-esteem and, in turn, motivate needy children to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders. A shiny new toy is the best means of accomplishing this goal."

The official toy drive begins the second week in November. Anyone with space to offer for toy storage can contact Mary Reeves at 684-1200, ext. 215, or mreeves@t-g.com.

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What about all the empty buildings we have sitting around town? Surely one of those would be able to allow these toys to be stored there for a month or so??? Goodness knows, we need something to use those buildings for! We have enough empty ones around town!

-- Posted by picmoma on Thu, Oct 22, 2009, at 9:52 AM

The old Harris Middle School sounds a like a good place to start.

-- Posted by Nobody'sFool on Thu, Oct 22, 2009, at 9:57 AM

Whatever location they choose, I hope it is kept a secret. Between the economy, people who want to blame it on the economy, and thieves in general, the building is likely to be picked clean.

-- Posted by TubeSock on Thu, Oct 22, 2009, at 10:31 AM

see what happens when organizations fail to work together Col. Crowell. I can assure you if the Toys for Tots would participate in keeping individuals off multiple list, by comparing names of those requesting assistance more people can recieve help, as has been suggested to you in the past. If you will accommodate the request I can get you not only storage space in town with the Toys for Tots having sole access for storage, a major drop off and organization point. but a nice cash contribution from out on the farm

-- Posted by outonthefarm on Thu, Oct 22, 2009, at 12:53 PM

I understand I guess the liability of a "used" toy...but I dont agree that a message of hope can only come from a shiny new toy. The message should be that someone cared enough to share what they had, even if it is used. And I'm not talking about a headless doll or anything. I guess because of the economy this year, this has actually been on my mind lately about wanting to help as much as possible. But it makes it kind of difficult to want to help when the message is "dont give what you can, be sure to give what I want"

-- Posted by well-duh8277 on Thu, Oct 22, 2009, at 4:47 PM

well-duh 8277 you wrote in part "....But it makes it kind of difficult to want to help when the message is "dont give what you can, be sure to give what I want""

-- Posted by well-duh8277 on Thu, Oct 22, 2009, at 4:47 PM

Amen.. I cannot understand the mentallity of some. I can remember many a hard candy christmas and the look on my parents face because they had done the best they could. Any toy or gift new or used would have been great. Unfortunatly in today's world many parents and groups have determined they are entitled to a standard of living and toys that must be on par with everyone else. I guess in an utopian world that would be great. I wonder if he would like to be in the home of a child christmas morning that has nothing just because he will not utilize pre loved toys. I know his heart in in the right place and he is to be thanked for his service to the country. I just think the motto "addapt and overcome" could be applied here.

-- Posted by outonthefarm on Tue, Oct 27, 2009, at 11:00 AM