LOGAN – Cache Valley Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots is once again looking for a home. The Christmas charity has everything in a storage shed and the holiday season is looming.
“We have no place to do Toys for Tots this year,” said Melanie Sweet, the program coordinator. “Without a location, we can’t help the children.”
A file photo of Michael Soholt at a Toys for Totts donation box in a previous year.
Last year, the organization helped nearly 2,400 children have Christmas. They want to help again this year, but without a location it will be difficult to help kids enjoy the season of giving.
The Christmas charity has been on the move every year from one location to another for the past five years.
“We have everything in a storage unit and I’m paying for it out of my own pocket,” she said. “Most of the kids we help live in Cache Valley so it wouldn’t help to be in Brigham City or Tremonton. We think it would be best to have a place in the valley.”
She is hoping to find a place with at least 700 square feet. The ideal space would be 1,600 square-foot warehouse with a loading dock, but they will take any place with four walls, a roof and a door they can find with reasonable rent at this point.
“After Halloween we practically live at the location getting things ready for Christmas,” Sweet said. “We are there 24/7 from the end of October until just before Christmas so the better the location the better it will be for us.”
Sweet said they would love a permanent home. It’s tough trying to move everything from one location to another year after year.
“We accept new donations, toys, stuffed animals, books, handmade toys and anything they want to donate,” she said. “We will have three donation boxes at Walmart at both locations in North and South Logan. We will also have one box at the Walmart in Perry.”
Toys for Tots will also accept money from their point purchase donation bottles or people can email soholt1985@gmail.com.
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity which was created at the behest of the U. S. Marine Corps in 1991.
When the Christmas season rolls around, they have pallets of toys being dropped from other parts of the country so finding the right location is essential.
Toys for Tots also uses community and church groups for volunteers, as well as Marines to pack gifts for children.
The 501-C3 non-profit organization serves children in Cache, Box Elder, Franklin and Rich counties.
If someone has space available, they should contact Sweet at soholt1985@gmail.com.