Coffee For A Cause: November - Marine Toys For Tots
Posted by Courtney Friend on
Toys for Tots is run by the Marine Corps Reserve and was founded in 1947 by reservist Major Bill Hendricks after his wife Diane tried to donate a homemade Raggedy Ann doll to a needy child but couldn't find any organization to do so. At his wife's suggestion, he got together a group of local Marine Reservists and collected 5,000+ toys by placing bins outside movie theaters. It was so successful that Toys for Tots was launched nationwide the following year.
As of 2016 Toys for Tots has collected and distributed more than 512 million toys.
Their mission "is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted."
The stated goal 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, and patriotic citizens."