Demand for toy donations skyrockets
Organizations expect that some children will go without Christmas this year, if they don’t receive more donations.
Atlanta, GA – Christmas may be bleaker than usual this year for needy American kids, with a harsh economic downturn from the coronavirus pandemic curbing donations of toys and gifts to charities.
Families who had extra cash a year ago are now struggling to make ends meet--thanks to both spiking unemployment and the closure of small businesses that can't survive under health restrictions on the number of customers they serve--and Christmas presents don’t fit into their budget.
Toys for Tots Atlanta distribution center where countless boxes sit empty. Source: Fox News
“The need is 10 times what it was last year, I mean it’s unreal," said Cherrie Carney, assistant coordinator for Atlanta Toys for Tots. "Last year we distributed almost 850,000 toys – this year our campaign has distributed about 225,000 toys so far."
The organization is struggling in other areas, too, thanks to the pandemic.
“From the volunteers, from the number of events we have, from the number of toys that have been donated, it's affected every aspect of our campaign,” Carney said.
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“Last year, we had 2,000 to 3,000 volunteers. This year, we have had 200 volunteers. So to get the toys in is one thing, but then we still have to sort them, we still have to bag them, and we still have to get them out the door," Carney said.
Two volunteers working to sort and prepare toys for children at the Toys for Tots distribution center. Source: Fox News
Sgt. Dominic Jones, a Marine who helps during toy donation events, said they have dropped two-thirds from 2019.
“We had well over 250 events and that’s just between the months of October, November, and December," he said. "Right now, we’re less than 100 events and we’re already in what would be the busiest month."
Local organizations such as LiftUp Atlanta, which helps homeless and low-income families in Georgia's capital, are struggling too.
Volunteer packaging toys for children this holiday season. Source: Fox News
Last year, LiftUp Atlanta helped between 100 to 200 families. This year, demand has already reached 300, with more calls and e-mails arriving daily.
“Some families have never asked for assistance and they are asking for donations," said Rosalind Garner, the organization's executive director.
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“You don’t want one child to go without and other kids have," she added. Donors want "them to be able to say, 'I got toys, just like my classmates or my friends got toys,'” Garner noted.
A box for toys that sits almost empty as organizations wait for more toy donations. Source: Fox News
But if organizations don’t receive more toy donations, some children are likely to "go without Christmas this year,” Carney said.
The pandemic has forced Toys for Tots to get creative. Donors can now buy gifts online and they will be sent directly to the selected toy distribution site.
Just one toy can make a difference, organizers said.
“If we ever needed help, it is now and it’s in all areas: it's in donations, it’s in volunteers, it’s in doing events to get toys in -- every aspect," Carney said.
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