COVID won’t stop Toys for Tots-Southern Allegheny County
By CHRISTINE HAINES
chaines@yourmvi.com
When it comes to carrying out a mission, there is little that stands in the way of the U.S. Marine Corps, even if that mission is getting toys into the hands of children for Christmas.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Will Keller of Toys for Tots-Southern Allegheny County nonprofit said the organization has more than its share of challenges in meeting its mission this year, but none of those challenges will prevent the delivery of toys to approximately 180,000 children in the area.
“This year is going to be different because of COVID,” Keller said. “It’s going to be nonprofit driven.”
Keller said the Southern Allegheny chapter of Toys for Tots usually works with about 230 nonprofit organizations, with the remaining toys distributed to individual families. Those individual distributions won’t take place this year.
“Because we don’t have the resources to distribute the toys safely, we are partnering with the Salvation Army’s Treasures for Children program for individual distribution,” Keller said. “We have to make sure we are safeguarding our Marines and safeguarding the people we serve.”
The Toys for Tots campaign is at the collection-box-distribution stage.
One of the many participating sites this year is the White Oak Police Department. The police have already started collecting new, unwrapped toys and, like the other sites, will continue to do so through Dec. 9.
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