Pocono News Section

Toys for Tots Donations Down More Than 90%

Toys for Tots Donations Down More Than 90% - Friday, December 11, 2009 at 5:38PM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Friday, Dec 11, 2009 @ 05:38pm EST
LEBANON TOWNSHIP, WAYNE COUNTY - An organization that helps needy families needs some help of its own tonight. Toys for Tots in Wayne & Pike counties say donations are down nearly 95-percent.

Without your help, organizers worry Christmas may not come to some children.

Ten single items were scattered on the floor of the Toys for Tots warehouse north of Honesdale. Those are all of the items are the only things that can be given out to teenage boys this year.

"I've been here 13-14 years and I've never had this amount of no toys at all. I mean, it's unbelievable. Unbelievable," Toys for Tots coordinator Andrew Tiernan said.

Organizers say they've never seen donations come in so slow.

"Normally our children that we service get four or five toys each. Right now, we're looking at the fact we might not be able to give them one toy each," Toys for Tots assistant coordinator Shari Tirado said.

Some donations have already been packed and were shipped out to the Damascus School District on Friday but the calls of need keep coming in.

"Most of my phone calls this year are mainly sick people, people with cancer and people without jobs. That is the main thing and they have four to six children in the family," Tiernan said.

Volunteers are now asking the community to step up to the plate like never before by giving new, unwrapped toys or money. They need everyday people to help, unlike surrounding bigger counties.

"They have big corporations that donate tons of toys. We don't have that here so we rely on the normal everyday person shopping," Tirado said.

Even though the odds are against them, Toys for Tots coordinators say they're not giving up.

"That's the Marine Corps way -- overcome and adapt -- that's the main thing," Tiernan said.

If you want to help, there are roughly 80 donation boxes scattered throughout Wayne and Pike counties. Some of the biggest donation spots are the K-Mart in Texas Township in Wayne County, Wayne Memorial Hospital and the Price Chopper in Matamoras in Pike County.

The Toys for Tots Warehouse on Route 191 will also be open both Saturday and Sunday from noon until 4:00 PM. That is located on Route 191 North in the D&D Plaza.

A fundraiser is also planned for Friday night at the Beech Lake Inn starting at 8:00 PM. Admission is a new toy or a $10 donation.

To make a monetary donation, you can visit the website honesdale-pa. toysfortots. org.

You can also contact the coordinators of the program directly...
Andrew Tiernan: (570) 493-4217
Shari Tirado: (570) 352-8035
Toys For Tots Office: (570) 253-0711