Soap Box......Toys for Tots

[Jamisjockey]

Yes, in case you haven't noticed the music, aisles of cheap chinese things at WalMart, or the wreaths and lights, it is almost christmas.
That means something near and dear to my heart, Toys for Tots.
Nobody deserves to grow up without never having something nice done just for them.  And nobody deserves to grow up without a hero.  What a better hero than a U.S. Marine?
A friend of mine in Utah grew up really, really poor.  No toys.  No christmas.  Until one Christmas he was involved in the Toys for Tots program.  He was personally given a toy by a DevilDog in Dress Blue Uniform.  The experience touched him deeply.
Moral of the story?  Go spend 10, 20, or more you can buy some really cool toys!!!!  Drop them in the white box.  Move it!!
http://www.toysfortots.org/

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

there are lots of folks hurting  check craigslist pick someone. dad gave me his old bigscreen so my tv with the spare gamecube and some games found a new home.  this year folks are pleading for clothes for their kids at xmas

[Jamisjockey]

[Gewehr98]

Huh?

Nobody uses dialup or free internet at work, etc?

$100/month to post on the luxury that is Craigslist, eh? 

Yeah, sure.

(I just converted my parents from dialup to DSL in the last couple months...)

The last Toys for Tots motorcycle run I participated in got to be a real goat-rope, and they were quite strict in what toys were acceptable.  Since then, I've actually seen tables set up outside stores, soliciting people to buy the toys they had expressly for that purpose, removing the choice entirely. 

No, thanks.  A noble cause, tainted. 

[Jamisjockey]

Okay okay I forgot about Dialup. 

[Gewehr98]

Craigslist is a lot bigger than what some would think, right down to job listings, etc.

My folks could afford DSL, but couldn't get it in their neck of the woods until recently. 

My McJob's owner allows broadband Internet usage over lunchtime, no problem.  I'd wager he's not the only one.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

If they are posting on Craigslist, they only think they are hurting.  Cable and internet are what, a hundred bucks a month.  I know what its like to cut $100 from my budget even these days.  I've been cracking the whip on my Wifey McMoneybag's office staff with office expenditures. 
Back when I was an E4 Corporal, and back when I was young and dumb and whacked on my debt-income ratio, cutting $100 from the budget was the holy grail. 
If it all went south tomorrow, this would be one of my last posts. 
Posting on Craigslist is a luxury.

poor folks use things like the library. or get friends to post for them.  take a look  drop something off check it out. takes a lil more effort than buying an etra toy and droppin it in a box though.

[Jamisjockey]

I'm going to edit my posts and drop that part of it.
My point is that Toys For Tots is a great charity. 

I can't throw money at everyone.  Even when Wifey McMoneybags used to make Hamburger Helper and I had to drown it in ketchup to make it edible, I still squeezed out a few bucks to buy toys and drop 'em in a white box. 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

i hear ya  i'm broke i gave away stuff that i didn't want/need anymore and these folks really appreciated it. made me feel guilty how good i have it.  hopefully taught the kid something.

[Jamisjockey]

i hear ya  i'm broke i gave away stuff that i didn't want/need anymore and these folks really appreciated it. made me feel guilty how good i have it.  hopefully taught the kid something.

I made Evil Spawn #1 (5yo) and Evil Spawn #2 (3yo) pick out the gifts.  We also did a shoebox thing for the wife's church for orphanages....kids picked out and helped pack and wrap those, too. 

[Gewehr98]

Hey, this Scrooge is all about the charity, having spend many hours last weekend ringing a bell in front of local stores.

My hands have yet to thaw out.  :|

Charity's great, but let's not insult peoples' intelligence in the process.  

You can catch more flies with honey...

[K Frame]

Jamis, you may not want to post calls for your favorite charitable event when you're hitting the sauce.

[Jamisjockey]

Jamis, you may not want to post calls for your favorite charitable event when you're hitting the sauce.

Edited for effect.  Read twice, post once.

[erictank]

Agreed on the great cause - Toys For Tots is one of the charities we troop for the 501st every year, usually at a Toys 'R US here in Virginia (well, typically at SEVERAL in different regions, we ARE all over the state ), so that we can help to drum up more toys for the kids.  We've pretty consistently been told that our being there about doubles the store's daily take for TfT, which makes us feel pretty good about the whole thing.

I was about to say that I was not going to be able to participate this year, and just remembered that I'm helping out with a troop in Waldorf MD this coming weekend!  How could I have forgotten that?

My wife and I also just recently took a bunch of stuff to the local Salvation Army donations center - we don't need it, and there are plenty of people out there who could use blankets and sheet, kid's clothing, etc. 

Plenty of worthy causes out there, working especially hard now - if you can give (time, money, goods, or all of the above), please do.

[Brad Johnson]

Staff Sgt J. B. Bennett, Toys for Tots coordinator for the Lubbock area, is scheduled to speak to my AMBUCS group on Monday. 

When I called to schedule him I also told him I would gladly help safely dispose of any pesky extra ammo that was cluttering up the place.

Brad

[Stetson]

We, Brooklyn Lodge #386, adopted 3 families and will be having Christmas Dinner(cooked by my wife and the wife of the WM) along with Santa and lots of fun.  I know everybody is hurting one way or another but I am amazed and those who are still able to open their hearts to other less fortunate than themselves.  Any leftover toys will go to Toys for Tots as the DDGM is a Former Marine and clothes will go to other places that need.  I doubt there will be left over food.

[roo_ster]

We timed our annual "cull & donate" this year for October , so our stuff would be in the pipeline before it got too cold (Dallas, Texas weather).

After we went through it all, the amount of stuff we had that we no longer wanted/needed but was still serviceable was a mild embarrassment. 

We were able to work the kids into the process, though who knows how much a 2YO & 4YO will retain of such complex behaviors?

We packed the back of the Element to the gills with our donations and drove off to the nearest Salvation Army drop-off.

I had my boy help transferring stuff.  It was a hoot to see him try to move a bag full of his & his sister's old clothes.  He was leaning into the effort, with the bag over his shoulder & dragging on the ground.  Didn't want help, No Sir!

Anyways, our big Christmas donation effort is Salvation Army with items as well as cash.  Not to disparage the USMC T4T, but the SA has had a sterling reputation first heard at my grandpa's knee. (As he recounted the acts of teh SA while he soldiered during WWII.  The Red Cross did not fare o well...)

[T.O.M.]

This is one time where I will say this, mean it, and have no sarcasm intended at all...

It's for the kids. 

[bk425]

Toys for Tots is wonderful. It's a way to help people in need and a do it while recognizing the work the Marines put into it. A win win (win win win win). I've had very positive experience for years with the volunteers who gather for toys for tots at Washington Arms Collectors. I also encourage people to donate -cash-. All the charities that take objects will be happy to take cash donations if you can do that and they are more efficient working that way because they have access to suppliers (and access at lower rates) that you don't.

Don't let a limited bad experience with a small subset of any group sour you on the whole larger group.