Toys for Tots

OK, even though I started a thread complaining about Christmas commercials, I'm not really a grinch. Usually.

For the last several years I've dropped of a toy or two at my barber before Christmas. His shop is a collection point for Toys for Tots. The response he has gotten from his customers grows each year, it's really quite impressive. If you'd like to do something this year for the less fortunate, consider donating a toy. The reasons are obvious. It doesn't have to be an expensive toy. It does have to be new and unwrapped.

If you don't know where a drop off is, the Toys for Tots website will help you find one.
http://www.toysfortots.org/

 

Toys for tots rocks, I think I may look up our local committee here and see if they couldn't use some help.

 

I promise to donate some this year. Hate to admit that I skipped a couple...

 

My wife also does a thing through her church, in which she gets a boy and girl box and fills them with necessities, and a toy, and they are sent to needy kids. Good stuff

 

Bump.

Took care of it yesterday.

 

I was very involved in Toy for Tots when I lived near Tillamook, Oregon. My ex and I donated a pair of Rolling Stones Concert tickets in the third row in Hawaii one year. The organization, mostly made up of bikers and diary farmers managed to get a travel agent out of Portland to make arrangement for Hawaiian Air and Sheraton Hotels to donate travel and lodging. They then raffled the whole package off, I think it brought in about 12K. The organization was flush for over two years on that. We also had beard/head shaving auctions, they always brought in decent money. When I moved to the Astoria area there was no program and little interest in starting one. I tried several years to get one going, no luck. The main attitude was "those people don't buy their kids toys because they're buying drugs and alcohol." Yeah, that's part of the point= it's not the kids fault. Let's give them one day of normal kids type life. Never could sell it. Gave up after about three years of banging on doors and banging my head.

If you have one in your area support it it's a great cause in my opinion.

 

There are some boxes for this programs at the entrances to the store, but the response has been underwhelming so far. I have to move those boxes to clean that area and they are still quite lightweight. Likely something to do with living in a town with a relatively high number of college students.

 

If you haven't donated and you live near Chicago, there's still time.......

Admiral Theatre Offers Lap Dances For Holiday Toy Donations

The Christmas Miracle!

 

Some asshole in his blog reminded me of this post.

It's a great cause, please think about making a donation.

 

Thanks for the reminder.

In my hometown the local volunteer fire department collected toys for children in the township. My mother always donated TONS of toys to them because she knew the families that they were supporting in our community.

She was an awesome lady and I try to keep her philanthropy rolling. I will be donating toys to a charity. I'd like to find something similar to the volunteer fire department from back home, but I found a Toys for Tots drop off site near me.

 

Whenever I do my Christmas shopping. I always pick up an extra toy or two to give to them. I can't stand the thought of a child doing without anything on Christmas.

 

Hmm. That fucker!

Cayvmann also reminded that asshole that food is just as important. Lots of families go hungry around this time of year due to increased grocery prices so don't forget that stuff while you're baking your cookies and what-not.

 

I was talking to a group of guys when I was at home, firemen that had to work on Thanksgiving the year before. Their family had dropped off food for them and jokingly said, "I can't imagine we're the only ones doing this..." But they were. I'm going to take toys and blankets to the fire department this month, for the families that are caught in fires during the holiday and may lose everything. If I was home, I'd take food to them, too, but I'll be in Texas.

I've done Toys for Tots, the food drives, all of that. I take stuff to the palliative and hospice care program that I used to work for... but home stuff. The kids get toys, but they often don't have decent sheets, dishes, towels, robes, slippers, etc. That kind of stuff always gets overlooked by more affluent donors. And holiday decorations. Trees, even. Who can afford a freakin' fake tree these days?

 

If any of you still want to do things like this there is still plenty of time. We're in the middle of doing our angel tree stuff right now but I'm sure we'll do another round of coats and toys, but I'm wanting to do stuff like noodle mentioned (every day items) too. I'll have to see if the fire stations around here do this or if they just solicit the salvation army and/or red cross.

Even if it's a $5 toy, I'm sure it would help make a kid smile. If your kids have old coats that aren't trashed, wash 'em up and donate them.

 

There's a Toy's r Us around here that is having a 2 for 1 sale. going to hit it hard and really make someone's Christmas. But for now I'm working with my church to help families with other items families need.

 

Lap dances for Toys for Tots

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

 

i donate every year to toys for tots. i try to hope i can make some kid smile somewhere.