The Father Fred Foundation completed Toys for Tots distribution on December 17. Volunteers report they were able to provide multiple gifts to 819 children and 320 families this year.
Beth Baillie Father Fred volunteer.
Beth Baille, volunteer coordinator for this project, recapped her experience as follows:
We were able to provide toys for 819 children ages 0-17 this year, from 320 families. When we had officially closed registration, we had 620 children signed up…almost 200 children were served because of the Foundation’s willingness to accept late registrations. Thank you to the intake volunteers who gladly accepted this additional task.
There were over 80 volunteers who helped out from registration, decorating, unpacking and delivering toys to families.
We had 20 Meijer gift cards that came to us just as our supply of toys for teens was running low.
We've had a great supply of toys overall. I was able to call Maggie Kent twice to ask for more gifts for teens. She was able to go out the same evening of my request and purchase items for teens with Toys for Tots money that she had on hand.
Of our 'extra' toys, we are providing 2 toys for each child aged 10 and under who are living at the Women's Resource Center. The rest will go back to Toys for Tots to be redistributed to other agencies who are still doing distribution.
We were able to provide immeasurable hope and assistance to families experiencing hardship for any number of reasons. Of them:
- Toys for a single father of three girls under the age of 3. Dad was an engineer and lost his job for GM, moved up to TC to take a successful job in sales which ended without notice last month. He has been frantically looking for a job without success.
- Toys for a woman with 2 children and a nephew who had just moved in to live with her family. They were in the middle of custody proceedings, had no official documentation for her nephew but were able to provide toys and a gift card to buy gloves and a hat for the nephew.
- Countless single moms trying to bring some happiness and joy to their children at Christmas
- Countless families who thought they'd never be in the position to have to ask for help and were so grateful that there was some.
I am grateful to all the volunteers who served so willingly and who served our families with happy hearts and genuine smiles.
Thank you so much for this opportunity,
Beth Baillie
