Numbers of children needing gifts increases

With the lagging economy, more and more parents need help to provide a festive Christmas for their children. The Toys for Tots drive is seeing a huge increase in the number of children this holiday season but a drop off in the quantity of toy and cash donations. Despite the situation, organizers think they will have enough toys to meet demand.

By Nathan Whalen • December 18, 2009 1:54 pm
Volunteers are distributing gifts gathered by the Toys for Tots Toy Drive. Pictured from the left are Mary Engle
Volunteers are distributing gifts gathered by the Toys for Tots Toy Drive. Pictured from the left are Mary Engle

With the lagging economy, more and more parents need help to provide a festive Christmas for their children.

The Toys for Tots drive is seeing a huge increase in the number of children this holiday season but a drop off in the quantity of toy and cash donations. Despite the situation, organizers think they will have enough toys to meet demand.

“I’m confident we won’t have anyone go unserved,” said Skip Eglet, who is the Toys for Tots coordinator on Whidbey Island.

In addition to a smaller number of toys, the organization is also seeing smaller amounts of cash being donated. Low-income families with school-aged children generally qualify to receive a toy through Toys for Tots. However, the majority of the toys donated benefit children ages 2 through 6. The cash donated is used to round out the toy selection so infants and older children will receive a gift as well, Eglet said.

Volunteers have their work cut out for them. Eglet said the number of kids needing assistance has increased by 30 percent in the Oak Harbor area over 2008. It looks like 800 children in the Oak Harbor area, 270 children on Central Whidbey and more than 300 children on South Whidbey will need assistance this year.

“We do have more volume in the Oak Harbor area because there are so many more people there,” Eglet said.

Vivian Rogers-Decker, coordinator for the Holiday House in Coupeville, said that approximately 600 children on Central and South Whidbey have been helped by the toy drive.

The Marines’ collection drive wrapped up Friday, but charitable folks can still drop off toys at collection boxes scattered around 70 locations throughout Whidbey Island.

He said there has been a little bit of confusion surrounding the drop off barrels, which have the Toys for Tots label and the labels of two other groups helping distribute the toys.

The groups aren’t competing with each other, rather, Toys for Tots collects the toys and the two groups, Tree of Hope on North Whidbey and Holiday House on Central and South Whidbey, are responsible for distributing the toys to the children.

There are distribution locations on North, Central and South Whidbey Island.

Vivian Rogers-Decker said the locations on Central and South Whidbey offer a store-like atmosphere where families can choose their gifts. She describes the Central and South Whidbey distribution as very generous. Children will pick up to 10 stocking stuffers and five gifts.

For families needing help, or to make a toy or monetary donation, call 678-0580 for Central Whidbey and 360-221-6808 for South Whidbey. Rogers-Decker said that the families participating go through a screening process.