Central Vermont Toys for Tots FAQ’s

Q:    What happens with leftover toys after distribution day?
A : Toys For Tots program provides toys for each eligible child in a family.   We plan our collection and purchasing efforts to make sure that we have enough toys for every eligible child registered by a parent in every community that we support.   All toys are distributed during our campaign.  Toys collected after December 25th are held as inventory for the next year.

Q :   My company is going to have a Toys For Tots collection drive or event.   What support is available for us?
A : We can provide you with collection bins, posters, window stickers, etc… We can also provide a Marine to attend your event, but remember, our resources are very limited, so please get your request in early.  Email: amy@autocraftsmen.com or call 229-2054.

Q :   How can my business get involved with Toys for Tots?
A: In the following ways:

1. Provide volunteer assistance at distribution event
2. Provide logistical support for the pickup and distribution of toys
3. Provide fuel for pickup and distribution of toys
4. Provide office furniture supplies, computers or other support materials
5. Hold a toy collection drive at your business
6. Make a monetary donation to Toys For Tots
7. Organize a Toys for Tots promotional event in coordination with the Toys For Tots coordinators
8. Refer us to other companies

Q :   Where can I send a financial donation?
A : Donations can be mailed to:
326 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602

Please make checks payable to “Toys For Tots”. All donations made through this Toys for Tots Organization will be sent to the Toys For Tots foundation in Quantico, Virginia for accounting purposes, and will be deposited to our account for use right here in Central Vermont.

Q :   Is my donation tax-deductible?
A : A donor does not need a special letter for tax purposes unless he/she makes a donation of money, toys, or services valued at $250.00 or more.   For donations less than $250.00 a canceled check or store/business receipt is acceptable for IRS purposes.   For donations of $250.00 or more that are address of the donor, a receipt will be mailed upon request.

Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity. Donations are tax deductible.

Q :   How can I become a volunteer?
A : Toys For Tots could not be done without volunteers!   Please email: amy@autocraftsmen.com or call 229-2054.

Q :   Are particular types of toys more in need than others?
A : The age groups that are in need of donations are the children from ages 0-2 and ages 11-17.

Q :   What kinds of toys are not allowed?

A : No Toy Weapons of any kind (squirt guns, cap guns, play swords, etc.) /  No Gift Cards  /  No Food – not even candy canes. Sorry!

Q :   What kind of toys can I donate?
A : New, unwrapped toys preferably around the $10 – or above price range. It is unsafe to distribute dangerous or dirty toys that could cause injury or illness to a child.

Q :   What are the criteria to qualify to receive toys from this program?
A : Local social service agencies and other legitimate organizations are used to identify needy children and help coordinators distribute toys in the local community.   This reduces the possibility of one family receiving multiple gifts.   For the benefit of the Toys For Tots program, Marines, to the extent feasible, distribute some toys directly to needy children (e.g. hospitals, hospices, shelters, special children’s event etc.).

Q :   How long does the Toys For Tots program last?
A : The Toys For Tots season in Central Vermont including Washington and Lamoille counties lasts until December 22rd. However, we accept sponsorship all year to get started for the next season.

Q :   How does the Toys For Tots program work?
A : There two aspects associated with the program nationally:

1. Those activities undertaken by Marines, often with the support of the local community
2. Those activities of the Toys For Tots foundation in Quantico, Virginia , which support the Marine Corps program.

New, unwrapped, donated toys are placed in these barrels.   The barrels are collected periodically and transported to a central holding location, where the toys are examined and sorted by gender and age group.   These toys are then provided to appropriate agencies (such as local churches, etc.), who identify and distribute these toys to those children in need.

If we receive money donations, these funds are forwarded to the Toys for Tots Foundation in Quantico , Virginia for accounting purposes.   The Foundation, in turn, returns 100% of these funds to the respective donating community, in the form of toys purchased at the national or local level.

Foundation:   The focus of the Toys For Tots Foundation in Quantico is predominantly at the national level.   Toys donated in large quantity and funds received by the Foundation, from an individual or corporate sponsor, are used to supplement the effort of the local community programs.   For example, if the Foundation received a donation of 50,000 toys, the foundation would then route those toys to the communities most in need.   These needs are determined by detailed coordination with the local Marine Corps Reserve sponsors in those communities.   In the case of donated funds, the foundation expends 97% of these funds on the purchase of toys and 3% on administrative and promotional needs.

Q :   What is the program’s goal?
A : Our ultimate goal would be to bring a ray of holiday joy to the heart of each of the estimated 14 million children in need each year.

Q :   Why is this program necessary?
A : America has over 14 million economically disadvantaged children.   There has never been a greater need, and the Marine Corps is committed to doing its part in helping these children.

Q :   How did this program start?
A : A Marine Corps reservist, Major Bill Hendricks, started Toys For Tots back in 1947.   His wife Diane had crocheted a doll to give to an organization that donated toys to disadvantaged children during Christmas.   However, there was not an organization in Los Angeles that distributed toys to disadvantaged children.   Major Hendricks decided to gather all the Marines he could to help him collect and distribute toys to disadvantaged children.   Toys for Tots was officially established a year later.   That first year in Los Angeles , the Marines collected, and distributed about five thousand toys.   Since then, we have collected and distributed more than 19 million toys to more than 9 million needy children across the nation.

We gathered over 9000 total toys for the 2008 Central Vermont Toys for Tots Campaign!

and gave our toys to 1850 kids of Washington and Lamoille counties in Central Vermont!

This could not have happened without all the Toys for Tots volunteers:

• Steve & Dave of Vet-to-Vet
• Deb Thumann our Waterbury coordinator
• Donna & Bonnie from Lamoille county
• National Life for giving us a warehouse space to call home!
  
• All the folks that drove around putting up boxes and collecting toys for weeks (Val, Christine, Ted, Ed, Jill, and Pat)
  
• The Marines attending Norwich University (specially ‘Lenny’) that dressed up in their ‘blues’ to represent our campaign at various events around the state and helped us collect a lot of toys!
  
• All the agencies / clubs and businesses that gathered toys at their Christmas parties and donated them to our campaign
• WDEV for getting the word out to the public that we needed toys and how to get them to us.
  
• All the businesses that let put up donation boxes
  
• And all the individuals that sent in $, put toys in our boxes and help spread the word.
• NCFCU for collecting money with our Toys for Tots Train cards
  
• All the agencies / churches / and groups that picked up toys at our warehouse and delivered them to the families of Central Vermont

There were a lot of people involved…. Thank you all!!!

If you would like to help out next year, contact Amy at amy@autocraftsmen.com

Were such a huge help during 2008′s Central Vermont’s Toy campaign… Thanks so much you two & for all the great work you do with helping the Vets of Vermont and New England!

Also, wanted to thank Sargent James Robins for representing the Marines Toys for Tots and for serving our country in the armed forces.

A Big thanks to WDEV for having us as a guest on their remote radio broadcast today in Barre at the Espresso Bueno in the Sidewalk Village.

The box was half full by the time we left at 10:00 am.

We are hoping the donations start coming in. We have 55 boxes all over Washington and Lamoille counties. We will starting picking up the toys around Dec. 4th and take them to our warehouse to separate. Various state agencies, churches, The Salvation Army, Vets-for-Vets, and other groups will start taking the toys away the 3rd week of Dec.

Last week we received a bunch of toys from the Toys for Tots foundation!

So now we need to do some unpacking and get our room organized.

So Major Hendrick and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles started their own program and collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children.  The pilot project was so successful that the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into a nationwide campaign.

Bill Hendricks, a Marine Reservists on weekends, was in civilian life, the Director of Public Relations for Warner Brothers Studio. This enabled him to convince a vast array of celebrities to support Toys for Tots. In 1948, Walt Disney designed the Toys for Tots logo, which we use today. Disney also designed the first Toys for Tots poster used to promote the nationwide program.

Nat “King” Cole, Peggy Lee, and Vic Damone recorded the Toys for Tots theme composed by Sammy Fain and Paul Webster in 1956. Bob Hope, John Wayne, Doris Day, Lorrie Morgan, Tim Allen, Kenny Rogers and Billy Ray Cyrus are but a few of the long list of celebrities who have given their time and talent to promote Toys for Tots. First Lady Nancy Reagan served as the national spokesperson in 1983. First Lady Barbara Bush served as the national spokesperson in 1992 and in her autobiography named Toys for Tots as one of her favorite charities.

From 1947 through 1979, Marines collected and distributed new and used toys. On Reserve drill weekends during October, November and December, Reserve Marines refurbished the used toys.

From Christmas 1980 through the present, Marines have collected and distributed only new toys. {click here for more history of Toys for Tots}

The Toys for Tots Program takes only New Toys!

Unwrapped toys: The thorough sorting, checking and distribution process requires that we be able to clearly see the toys and evaluate them for gender and age appropriateness.

Seal and Shrink-wrap: Video / DVDs / CDs /  Video Games- our distribution process requires that all movies, music and games be in their original shrink wrapped packaging.

We can not accept any of the following:

No Toy Weapons of any kind (squirt guns, cap guns, play swords, etc.)

No Gift Cards

No Food – not even candy canes. Sorry!

Thank You!