A volunteer assembled toys at the speed of one of Santa’s elves in the back of the shop. Bikes lined the front window of the warehouse, while big stuffed bears sat on tables, waiting to be adopted by kids in need.
Toys for Tots gave gifts to about 1,400 kids last year; more than ever before for the county. This year, it already has that many signed up for gifts, with two weeks still left to register for this holiday season.
While parents typically “shop” around the warehouse for things their children would like, construction has split the warehouse in half, giving Toys for Tots half the space, said Coordinator Jessica Forbes.
As a result, parents and guardians who need gifts now put their child’s interests on the application, and volunteers shop around for them.
“We are on track to outdo last year,” Forbes said. “With what’s going on with price inflation, people are just struggling. Food, gas, and housing are all expensive right now. I work at the school, I see it at the school.”
The organization still seeks new, unwrapped toys. While the warehouse’s tables for young kids are covered in light-up action figures and huge stuffed bears and gorillas, the tables for older kids are more sparse.
“I think the age group that we’re really struggling with this year, as we do every year, is 12 to 18 boys and girls,” Forbes said.
For that age group, Forbes suggests donating anything electronic, video games, big fuzzy blankets, or self-care items, like perfume, spa masks or headbands, hair care or any other body care products.
Any toys relating to guns or knives will not be accepted, or books with themes like suicide or sexual abuse.
Toy drives will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 30 at Artisan Elements, 77 S. West St., Homer, and 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 7 at the Homer Fire Department.
“Each child gets a big gift, a small gift, a stocking stuffer, a book, and each family gets a game to play together,” Forbes said.
Volunteer Esther Caldwell suggests that if people don’t know what to donate, they should get something that they think their kids would like.
Jan Anderson started volunteering to help her brother, Norm Stitzel, the previous Toys for Tots coordinator.
“If you were in a place where you had nothing, and could do nothing for your kids, think about that, and what you would want done for you,” she said. “That’s how I look at it.”
Toys for Tots boxes will be around town until Dec. 2, and applications are due Nov. 30. Distribution day is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 21.
“Times are kind of hard,” said warehouse manager Matthew Anderson. “Everybody’s kind of split up, and Christmas is kind of a neutral holiday, I think, that can’t be affected by the media nonsense going on. If you can give people a little piece of mind that at least Christmas is going to go nicely, I think that’s a little bit of hope.”
