(Credit-Photo by: Brooke Ball/The Valley Forge).
The holidays are associated with fond memories for most. These last months of the year are usually spent celebrating with friends and family, making home-cooked meals, and buying gifts for loved ones.
However, not everyone can do these things. Some families cannot afford to give gifts to their children, and the holiday season gives many opportunities for you to give back to your community and help those in need.
The Salvation Army of Winnebago County has spent the last 25 years collecting toys during the weeks leading up to Christmas. This year’s 12 Hours of Salvation toy drive is taking place on Dec. 2 at Lou Bachrodt Auto Mall, 7070 Cherryvale N. Blvd.
Tracy Beyer has overseen this event for the past 3 years and has got to experience the overwhelming support the community has shown toward the toy drive.
Many local businesses and organizations, including the Cherry Valley Fire Department, Machine Shed Restaurant, and Dickerson Nieman Realtors, have supported the Salvation Army by providing volunteers and food and holding in-office toy drives.
“We have team members that were here on day 1. It’s great to hear them share stories about how much the toy drive has evolved throughout the years,” Beyer says.
Madissyn Ball participates in Rockford area volunteer events throughout the season. She, along with her family, rang the bell for The Salvation Army at the CherryVale Mall for 5 years but stopped because of the pandemic.
“I like that I got to take part in caring for others by volunteering,” Ball says.
The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way The Salvation Army ran many of its events during the holiday season, spurring new, more convenient methods of volunteering.
People can now do curbside pickup to drop off their gifts and can even shop online and ship donations. The Salvation Army also does the Red Kettle Campaign, which now takes donations online and in person. The Red Kettle Campaign has various donation kettles across the United States, with the proceeds going back to The Salvation Army’s charitable interests.
There are two ways you can support the 12 Hours of Salvation toy drive: You can donate new, unwrapped toys or volunteer on Dec. 2.
Volunteers unload toys from vehicles, and count and sort through gifts. Items will be accepted now through Dec. 2, and the drive requests toys for ages 2 through 15.
“Lots of people donate toys for the smaller kids, so at Lou Bachrodt, we try to focus on gifts for the teenagers,” Beyer said.
If you want to shop for older children, items like art supplies, watches, and sporting equipment are recommended gifts for this age group.
The holiday season is full of opportunities to help people in your community. By donating items or even your time, you can make a large impact on someone’s holiday season.
“Volunteering is just another way to spread joy around the community and help people,” Ball said.
