Volunteers gather for a Toys for Tots event.
LOGAN – The United States Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots, a national 501c3 not-for-profit charity, distributes toys to children whose parents need assistance for Christmas.
The local campaign has put out 50 collection boxes around Box Elder and Cache counties to collect Christmas gifts for children in Cache, Box Elder, and Rich counties.
Melanie Sweet, the local coordinator, put the boxes out in the beginning of November. So far, the collection boxes are not seeing the number of toy donations for the children they require to help.
“This year we are only giving two toys, two stocking stuffers, one stuffed animal and one book,” she said. “If I had more donations, I could give out more.”
Toys for Tots works hand in hand with the Family Place, Families Feeding Families, Little Lambs, CAPSA, Shoshone Nation, DCFS, area hospitals and other organizations. They have hundreds of requests for toys from different families.
“As of Dec. 1 st, we are sitting at around 1,200 children signed up. Last year we had 2,180 children signed up before the Dec 8, deadline,” she said. “We could have more children to help than last year.”
There are several ways to help Toys for Tots. People can put toys in the collection boxes, put money in jars set out in area establishments, donate, volunteer, or apply for assistance online at logan-ut.toysfortots.org.
To find out where boxes are located, visit the site provided.
“In the last eight hours I had 40 families send in applications,” Sweet said. “The economy has changed. There is a flux in families that need assistance.”
The organization is getting fewer donations, that is why they are in trouble this year. The economy has made it harder on families. Sweet was hoping to get more donations through local companies and the public.
Right now, the organization is working out of a store front in Logan that was donated for the season. On January 1, they need to vacate their current location and find a new one.
“We are stressed about where to go when the lease is up, and overwhelmed about finding toys for children that will not have a Christmas without our assistance,” she said. “I also need volunteers at distribution events.”
Toys for Tots was founded in 1947 by reservist Major Bill Hendricks. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation located in Triangle, Virginia funds, raises
funds for, and supports the program.
For more information about the Toys for Tots program locally, call Melanie Sweet at (435) 760-2811 or contact Michael Soholt at [email protected].