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Local Toys For Tots Off To Slow Start | |||
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| By Vernon Robison Moapa Valley Progress Published Dec. 2, 2009 Brightly colored holiday boxes appeared suddenly at local stores and businesses over the Thanksgiving weekend. These festive boxes and collection jars are now in place to allow local residents to make donations to the Toys for Tots program. But program coordinator Myrtle Kellar says that the program has been slow to gain traction this year. Though the collection boxes have just recently appeared in stores, |
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Kellar has been hard at work for months now to coordinate the local effort.
Kellar runs the program for both the Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley areas. Kellar is somewhat puzzled this year, though. Despite the difficult economic circumstances that currently exist out there, she has seen the program get off to a very slow start. Kellar stated that there is a strange absence of families who are applying for help this year. The numbers of applications are much lower this year than in years past, she said. Last year, the program provided Christmas toys for 659 children. This year, so far, only about 200 have applied. "My worry is where are all of our children who need help?" Kellar said. "We are not seeing anywhere near what we are used to this year." Kellar recognizes that it has been a rough year for many people. With a lot of jobs lost and homes foreclosed upon, some of the families needing help in the past might have been forced to move out of the community. But Kellar also recognizes that there may be a hesitance for some families to sign up for help. "A lot of people need help who aren't used to asking for help," Kellar said. "They are ashamed to ask, but they don't need to be. We do this just because we love the kids. We don't care why people need help." Not surprisingly, donations of toys are also much lower than usual at this time of year. Still Kelar is confident that the program will end up with enough donations to meet the need in the community. The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots program is to collect donations of new, unwrapped toys and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community. Kellar, a Moapa resident, has been a Toys for Tots volunteer for 50 years now. She is a firm believer in the program. Kellar recognizes that providing a toy to a needy child is a rather small gesture. But she has seen the good results which build up from such simple gestures over the years. Kellar is able to cite, one after another, specific instances of children that she has been able to help over the years; children who have gone on from very humble beginnings to live productive and fulfilling lives. "In a word, Toys for Tots brings hope to children," Kellar said. "Kids are so innocent. They need all the help they can get to grow up the way they should be. If they don't have hope, if they don't see any kindness out there, why should they care when they get older?" Families who need assistance may contact the Cappalappa Family Resource Center. They can also contact Myrtle Kellar directly by calling 865-2907 or emailing her at myrtle_kellar@yahoo.com. The deadline to apply is December 10. Moapa Valley residents who wish to donate toys or money to Toys for Tots can find collection jars and bins in many local businesses. Farmers Insurance agent, Mike Qualheim will also make house calls to donors homes in order to collect toy donations for the program. A pickup can be arranged by calling Qualheim at 397-6622 or 497-2350. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!Comment on this story. Send a letter to the editor by email, click here: EMAIL US |
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