In an effort to make this holiday season a little brighter for children aged newborn to 11 years, the Gallatin Police will once again facilitate the Toys for Tots program for Gallatin and Daviess County.
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Chief Mark Richards has delivered collection barrels in Gallatin to Shopko and Dollar General, and a donation jar to Casey’s. Anyone wishing to make a donation can drop off new, unwrapped toys to any of the drop off boxes or make a monetary donation to the jar.
Anyone wanting to request an item can pick up a wish list from the Adventist Community Service Center (only open on Wednesday) or from Gallatin City Hall. Watch for more information on the Gallatin Police social media site.
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity which was created at the behest of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991.
Chief Richards is designated as the Toys for Tots Coordinator for the community.
“The Gallatin Police have been organizing the Toys for Tots program for the past 10 years,” Chief Richards says. “All donations stay local and the program is coordinated locally.”
As coordinator, Chief Richards is responsible to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation for planning, organizing and conducting the campaign. Coordinators pick up the toys and store them in central warehouses, which for Gallatin is a donated storage unit, where the toys are sorted by age and gender. At Christmas, coordinators, with the assistance of local community agencies and churches, distribute the toys to the less fortunate children of Daviess County only.
The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation’s most valuable resources – our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future.
The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.
Area businesses wishing to become a dropoff point or anyone wishing to make a monetary donation to support the program can contact the Gallatin Police Department at 660-663-3580.