By Khalida Sarwari
In the spirit of the holidays, it might be worth picking up one or two extra Lego kits or Barbies the next time you find yourself in the toy aisle, then drop it off at a fire station on your way home.
From now through Christmas Eve, the Santa Clara County Fire Department is accepting new and unwrapped toy donations for children and youth up to 17 years old as part of its community toy program. The toys can be dropped off at any fire station in the South Bay, with drop-off bins at the Saratoga, Los Gatos, Campbell and Cupertino fire stations.
The community toy program is the oldest of its kind in the area, according to Battalion Chief Gary Cocroft. The program originated in Campbell but now encompasses most of the South Bay.
“Fire stations are just a natural and convenient place for people to bring toys for the holidays,” said Cocroft. “We’re just happy to continue the history of providing for low-income children during the holidays.”
Aside from toys, organizers are also collecting sporting goods, books, stuffed animals, board games and creative or artistic items, such as coloring books. Sporting goods may include basketballs, baseballs, soccer balls and tennis racquets. Books can be used or new.
“Generally, people should think about the older kids,” Cocroft said. “Typically, we don’t have enough toys for teenagers. We generally have an excess of toys for children under 10.”
From Dec. 14 to 18, volunteers will wrap the toys and assemble packages made up of five items. They will distribute the toys on Dec. 19 to low-income families that are identified through local schools or the Home Church in Campbell.
The fire department is holding the toy drive in conjunction with the Campbell Chamber of Commerce, the Home Church, the Campbell Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Community Services Agency in Mountain View.
In past years, the community toy program has served anywhere from 1,200 to 1,500 local kids, according to Cocroft.
“Our communities are so generous when it comes to these types of programs that … every year we get an excess of toys and give to other agencies for their toy programs,” Cocroft said.
The fire department is also accepting check and cash donations to use in the event of a shortage of toys or books for any specific age group.
The Home Church is seeking volunteers who can help with the sorting and distribution of the toys. For more information, call 408.370.1500.
For a complete list of fire station locations, visit sccfd.org.
