TOYS FOR TOTS
Volunteers help brighten many families’ Christmas
Posted: Thursday, December 22, 2016 10:30 pm
By Robert Pore
Thursday was the first day of winter break for Grand Island Public Schools. For Jackson and Isaac Henry, there was no better way to start their break than by helping out at the Toys for Tots distribution at the Fonner Park Cafe.
“My mom has been volunteering with this program for a very long time, and I figured that I would come down and help make a bunch of people happy this year,” said Jackson, 13.
Heartland United Way officials said 1,100 families, including more than 2,200 kids, will receive the gifts handed out on Thursday.
“This is the first year we (he and his brother) have done this, but we usually help out with some other things, such as Hope Harbor,” said Jackson, who is a seventh-grader.
For Jackson, volunteering means “sharing and caring.”
“You’re helping a lot of people and making a lot of people very happy,” he said.
Isaac, 11, said he was “making sure the kids at Christmas are getting what they wanted that they can’t really afford.”
Both Jackson and Isaac were overwhelmed by the volume of toys and other items stacked on the tables. The toys were separated by age groups and by boys and girls. There was also a huge table full of board games for families and another huge table loaded with stuffed animals.
Their mom, Kelly Henry, said having her two sons help out “means the world to me.”
“It helps them understand that not all children have a lot of presents under the tree,” she said. “It is a great way for them to realize the importance of giving back and serving in the community.”
Kelly’s daughter, Lydia, was celebrating her eighth birthday on Thursday and was having a birthday breakfast with her dad.
Kelly said she has been helping with the Toys for Tots distribution for a number of years, and her kids were curious about it.
“They just wanted to see what it is about and understand about the different ways people can get help during the holidays,” she said.
Most importantly, she said, she wants her boys to “be thankful for what you have and to always be generous to others who are not as fortunate as you are.”
Heartland United Way Public Relations and Volunteer Coordinator Cammie Benson said it was gratifying to see families volunteer for Toys for Tots.
“That is really great,” Benson said. “They (the Henry family) also came out to help with the tidying and organizing. We just appreciate the help and all the volunteers who come out as it would absolutely not be possible without them.”
From the volunteers to the thousands of dollars donated for the gifts, Benson said the community support has been “awesome.”
“I have never seen so many toys before,” she said. ”The community has just done great. We are really excited about it.”
Participants have been signing up since October.
“It was a record year for applications,” Benson said.
All the participants had assigned times on Thursday to pick out toys. When participants arrive, they are matched with a volunteer who guides them through Santa’s Workshop, selecting toys for their kids.
The family gets a game, and the kids get a puzzle, art supplies or a book. Each participant gets a stuffed animal, and because of the huge community response this year, Benson said, each child will receive three gifts.
“It is crazy, but it is a good crazy,” Benson said.
While there were about 100 volunteers helping out Thursday, another 80 volunteers have been helping the last couple of days setting up Santa’s Workshop.
Another student helping out on Thursday was 13-year-old Giovanni Zapata. She was also helping out as a translator.
“It is nice to volunteer for the community,” she said. “Not everybody speaks English.”
This was Giovanni’s first year as a volunteer.
“My mom comes every year for my little sister, and my cousin told me about it, so I thought it would be nice to volunteer.” she said.