Yesterday was a community service day for me. It was really fun working at the Toys-for-tots. This was still the sorting phase. Presents will be given to the parents on Saturday.
The thing that was most interesting to me was the skew in the giving. Toys for 3-6 yr old boys were staggering! The 3-6 yr old girls and toddlers were close behind. However, the 7-9 and 10-13 yr old boys and girls were really very light.
All donations are wonderful and appreciated but here were my learnings from the day:
1) older kids are often forgotten in the donation process
2) stuffed animals are the most often donated item so consider donating something in addition to a stuffed animal
3) educational toys for boys were common – not so much for girls :(
4) be aware of how your donation could potentially get damaged before it gets given away. Donations in flimsy packaging were often falling apart on the sorting table. These don’t end up as Christmas gifts but do get donated to shelters and such.
5) be aware of potential health hazards with your donation – avoid things that could be potentially harmful (especially “grow” toys that expand when placed in water).
These toys will certainly make a difference for many children. It was so nice to see people who may be having some tough economic times themselves being so generous.
Thank you to everyone who donated and the marines who have been running this for 61 years!
