While COVID-19 has shuttered countless businesses, forced families to remain isolated in their homes, closed schools and left millions out of work, the local Toys for Tots campaign still plans to spread Christmas joy to those who need it more than ever this year.
“We at the local Toys for Tots are planning to conduct a traditional holiday campaign—collecting, and distributing toys to less fortunate children safely, despite the pandemic,” said Jodey Clements, coordinator of the Gloucester-Mathews-Middlesex Toys for Tots, which is sponsored by Middle Peninsula Detachment #1317 of the Marine Corps League.
“Physical distancing will be used while collecting and distributing toys. Volunteers will not be allowed to participate if they feel sick or display any symptoms. Toy distribution will be a mostly contactless event this year.
“Although we are not planning to sanitize donated toys, we are planning to place incoming toys into a holding status for 48 hours before they are moved into the sorting status,” she added. “This could place burdens on toy availability for distribution but needs to be done to help mitigate the virus.”
Clements said she anticipates that local toy collections will be negatively impacted during this holiday season due to the pandemic. “As well, we are expecting to have a significant increase in families with children seeking assistance,” she said. The local campaign has had to make some changes in the way they collect toys and fundraise. Along with the ability to donate monetarily, the local Toys for Tots has introduced a virtual toy drive, where people who wish to donate a toy but do not want to do it in person can do so.
More information about the drive, how to apply for assistance, as well as a link to donate, can be found at https://gloucester-va.toysfortots.org. Applying for assistance can also be done online this year from Oct. 1 through Nov. 15. Applications will not be accepted after this date.
The Gloucester toy distribution will be held on Dec. 12. Information regarding applying in Mathews and Middlesex counties can be found on the website.
“We have been told that we have the full support of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation who is positioning itself to augment our needs,” Clements said. “With their support and the support of our faithful citizens and national corporate sponsors, we will not have a child be left without a toy for Christmas!”
She singled out the assistance of Safe Harbor Storage for donating year round storage space and White Marsh Properties LLC for donating working warehouse space again this season.
“Without these two companies, there would simply be no Toys for Tots on the Middle Peninsula,” Clements said.