SANGAMON COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) - Over 200 volunteers are urgently needed for Sangamon County Toys for Tots program.
The Toys for Tots warehouse at White Oaks Mall is set up as a store for one day (Dec 15).
There are ten tables, five for boys and five for girls, ages 0-2, 3-5, 6-7, 8-10, 11-18. Families who apply and are approved show up at an assigned time slot and get to pick out what toys they want for their children.
Four other organizations will also be set up there to help families: Min O’Beirne Crisis Nursery (provides diapers and wipes), City of Springfield (provides hats and gloves), Springfield Urban League (provides socks) and another organization that is TBD to hand out Blankets.
The Salvation Army screens the applications, approves and assigns shopping times for the approved applicants and provides a couple of employees to check in and check out the shoppers on the day of the event.
Approved clients are escorted by a personal shopper from the door all the way through the store then out to the parking lot where our volunteers will be handing out food bags provided by the Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Volunteers are needed to fill over 400 2 hour and 15 minute volunteer slots for positions such as: Personal Shoppers, Cart/Shopping Bag Assistants, Line Attendants, Food Truck Assistant and Cleanup Crew Members.
They still have over 240 open volunteer slots that need filled.
This year, 1,183 families submitted applications for 3,208 children.
Due to volunteer and monetary reasons, the program was only able to approve 656 applications to support 1,819 children.
Toys for Tots is a National organization but is ran by local coordinators.
Sangamon County Toys for Tots staff consists of three volunteers.
The Local program receives no monetary support from the national foundation but do occasionally receive shipments of supplemental toys from the foundation when they have them.
They rely on the generosity of the local community for toys and monetary donations.
To volunteer for a slot, click HERE.
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