CHRISTMAS GIFTS
Toys for Tots in Jones County had their kickoff with the Marine Corps Detachment 970 at Ingles and Ace Hardware on Labor Day to help get donations for underprivileged children for Christmas in the county.
Shana Backus, the coordinator for Jones County Toys for Tots, said she’s excited to help give a little Christmas cheer to Jones County families this year. She said the kickoff was something she looks forward to each year.
“This is our sixth annual kickoff of Toys for Tots, and we were raising funds outside of Ingles and Ace Hardware,” she said. “This was to bring awareness to Toys for Tots and get the community thinking about Christmas. We want children in Jones County to have a great Christmas each year.”
Backus said they start on Labor Day with their kickoff, because summer is ending, and fall is beginning. She said September is the time for them to start planning everything for Toys for Tots, since funds will be low right now and it gives them time to make it aware applications will be opening soon.
“I feel like Toys for Tots is important for Jones County, because it’s another organization that helps people provide Christmas for their family. We don’t have a lot of organizations in our county that help with this. We have a lot of good people in Jones County who do help families, but this is one of the few organizations we have here to help,” she said.
The coordinator said right now they are mainly just looking for monetary donations, so they can start purchasing toys around November. She said the purchase of any toys will stay for families in Jones County. She said Toys for Tots boxes won’t be out until after Halloween in the local businesses around Jones County. She said to donate or to sign up to volunteer, visit https://gray-ga.toysfortots. org. “The more people who donate, the less children go without Christmas. The more toys we get, the more toys we can provide for these families,” she said. “The toys that we always especially need are for our older boys and girls, for our teens.”
Backus said applications will open Oct. 1 and will run through Dec. 5. The applications can be found on the website.
She said there are lots of requests each year for arts and craft kits, jewelry making kits, baby dolls, slime, science kits, superheroes, and items such as those.
The coordinator said they will be looking for volunteers around the middle of December to help pack and sort toys for families. She said anyone can volunteer, they just have to fill out the form on the website.
Backus said she is excited to help families in Jones County again this Christmas. She said they plan to have donation boxes out for toys during the fair this year for those who want to go ahead and donate a toy to Toys for Tots. She said she is looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish this year for families in Jones County through Toys for Tots.
“It’s a chance for us to give back to our community. Volunteering is a great way to show your love for the people here,” the coordinator said. “Inflation has impacted people a lot this year. Extra items like toys could be a struggle. It’s great to see the community come together for a cause like this.”
To reach Shana Backus or others who help with Toys for Tots, call 478-986-0381, or email at gray.ga@toysfortots.org.
