When the Toys for Tots campaign that serves Gilmer children kicked off this past October, its organizers were worried that COVID-19 pandemic would limit this year’s amount of donated toys and funds.
However, the final tally of the 2020 drive shows quite the opposite.
“Even in this pandemic, we were able to help a record number of children in Gilmer County for Christmas. People were more generous not only with toys, but also with funds this year. There was definitely an increase from the previous year,” confirmed Ret. U.S. Marines Sgt. A.J. LeCompte, local Toys for Tots campaign coordinator.
In all, 1,137 children received more than 4,200 toys and gifts hand wrapped by Gilmer Toys For Tots volunteers. More than 7,800 stocking stuffers were also distributed in Christmas stockings with children’s names on them, LeCompte noted.
“Based on the average cost of toys and (stocking) stuffers, it came to $70.20 per child,” he added.
Donation boxes were put at numerous local businesses and the majority of incoming toys were donated at retail locations where toys are already sold, including the East Ellijay Bealls and Walmart locations, LeCompte noted.
The boost in donations allowed the local campaign’s volunteers to continue distributing toys right up till Christmas Eve.
“We continued to operate later then we normally did in the past 10 years, giving out toys weekly from Nov. 9-Dec. 24. We would normally have closed and moved out of the building a week before Christmas, but we kept taking requests up to the Wednesday (before Christmas) and (had those toys out) by Christmas Eve,” said LeCompte.
“We use Charity Tracker (software program) to check applicants’ names when they put in requests for toys. What we were finding was that anywhere from 25-33 percent of the people who were requesting toys this year weren’t already in Charity Tracker, which means they haven’t gotten help from us before,” he added.
Safety precautions adopted during the pandemic were a first-time addition to how the seasonal campaign is carried out. The in-person toy pick-up process was also conducted differently this year, LeCompte confirmed.
When picking up toys, applicants simply held their IDs up to their car window and popped the trunk.
“They never came in the building or got out of their cars,” LeCompte said.
This year’s successful effort would not have been possible without the generosity of those who donated to the cause and help from volunteers who stayed to wrap presents, even during Christmas week, LeCompte noted.
“I’m overly enthused to know the population of Gilmer County recognized that there was going to be more of a need this year, and they really stepped up to meet that need. It makes me feel really good that I live in a county that does that,” he said.