With increased rates of child poverty reported in the U.S. this summer, as well as rising inflation rates, Toys for Tots volunteers are in high demand for the upcoming holiday season.
Betty Dean, a local coordinator of the annual toy drive in Elkton, Md., told the Cecil Whig this week that 100 families in need had already signed up for the toy drive.
“I usually don’t get families until November,” Dean told the outlet. “It’s going to be a rough year.”
Toys for Tots, an annual program run by the U.S. Marine Corps that supplies holiday gifts to children in need, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Although it is a nationwide organization, drives are handled at the local level with the help of volunteers.
“Local campaigns are conducted annually in over 800 communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands,” according to the non-profit. Marine Corps coordinators facilitate the local programs. Volunteers from businesses, churches and community agencies help.
Throughout its history, Toys for Tots has brought holiday gifts to 281 million children in need. A year-round program is also facilitated by the group.
According to the most recent data released by the Center for Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University, the monthly poverty rate was 14.7% in June, up from 14.1% in May, though it declined slightly in July to 14.5%. Child poverty rates were higher than overall rates in July at 17.2%. U.S. Census Bureau data released this month showed that the national poverty rate was 12.8% last year and that the child poverty rate was 16.9%.
In the Elkton area, 5,800 children received gifts last year. In Philadelphia, Pa., – which has a population roughly 98 times the size of Elkton, 114,536 gifts were distributed to 50,000 children in 2021.
“While Toys for Tots Coordinators organize, coordinate and manage the campaign, the ultimate success depends on the support of the local community and the generosity of the people who donate toys,” according to the organization website.
Related
Related
