Toys for Tots

In 1947, Diane Hendricks made a few handcrafted dolls and asked her husband, Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks, to give them to an agency that supports children in need. When he reported back to her that he couldn’t find such an organization, she told him to start one. That year, Major Hendricks and the Marines in his reserve unit collected and distributed five thousand toys. The commandant was impressed and directed all Marine Reserve sites to implement a Toys for Tots campaign, making it into a national program. To date, Toys for Tots has delivered more than 600 million Christmas toys to more than 280 million children.

You can bring new unwrapped gifts to your local Toys for Tots drop-off location. Typically, toys are collected from October through mid-December, but call your drop-off location in advance. Find more information and drop-off sites at www.toysfortots.org.