01/08/2024
Our 2023 Annual Holiday Toy Drive (AKA "Fill the Table" event) has broken all of our previous records! We were thrilled to provide Family Promise with nearly 200 toy donations as well as clothing and book donations! Thank you so much to everyone who supported our collection, donated, coordinated community efforts and more! We were so humbled by the generosity shown! Following our collection, all items were packed up and sent to Family Promise of Union County to be prepared for distribution. Ms. Joanne, Mr. Joe and Ms. Ashley joined in the distribution efforts to assist families in "shopping" for their child's holiday gifts! Our school families were also able to sign up to assist in toy distribution as well.
Thank you to our KACO Village:
We wanted to send a huge thank you to all of our center families, staff and students for participating in our collection. It was wonderful to watch so many students loading up the gift table and talking about why they selected specific toys to give. Also, thank you to the Colonia community for using our local drop box to participate in the spirit of gift giving as well. Please join us in recognizing the following people: Magda (one of our super moms!) who manages our local Walgreens. Magda came up with the idea to add a donation bin at her branch for the community to participate in our collection as well! Magda made multiple deliveries of toys to us throughout the collection period! We also want to recognize Alyssa (another super mom!) who coordinated multiple donations from her team at Target! Last but not least, we want to recognize our incredible vendors! Discount School Supply came to the rescue and donated 5 cases of toys! Also, our friends at Kaplan Early Learning Company donated some fantastic STEM toys!
Lastly, we also want to recognize the emergency clothing donations that came in from many of our families. While distributing toys, we noticed a high need for clothing from parents coming through and a rapidly depleting supply. We immediately posted an SOS to our families and arrived to multiple clothing donations first thing Monday morning. Because of this, additional clothing resources were able to be provided along with our toy collection. Thank you!
Why are Holiday Collections so Important?
During the holidays, families struggle with stretching already tight budgets in an effort to provide their children with a special holiday. This time of year frequently leaves families in debt or with significantly depleted financial resources. By participating in a Holiday Toy Drive, you are assisting families in maintaining the limited funds they have to ensure household bills are paid and shelter is maintained. This also allows their children to fully participate in and enjoy the holiday. Childhood is a fleeting time, and it is important to fill that time with cherished memories for children and their families. Family Promise of Union County had a unique approach to giving this year. They set up a "store" complete with various sections for participants to "shop" in. This wonderful idea gave families a sense of normalcy, and autonomy in selecting the perfect items for their child. If you would like to participate in next year's efforts, please contact Amy Jones at Family Promise of Union County.
