Submitted by Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services
Photo/submitted
Shrewsbury – The 10th annual charity toy drive for children hosted by Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services (SYFS) and the Worcester County Department for Children and Families (DCF) has unfortunately gotten off to a slow start this year. Toy collection boxes have remained nearly empty. But a kind-hearted Shrewsbury family is hoping that their recent large donation of toys will help to inspire others to “pay it forward.”
Toy drive volunteer LouAnn Geer explained that she recently received a call from a high school classmate.
“Bring an empty SUV because we have been shopping all year round, and we will fill your SUV with toys!” the classmate told her.
For the past few years, this family, who asked to remain anonymous, has made large donations of toys to the drive. The family, Geer said, told her that they are “paying it forward” for acts of kindness they received several years ago when they themselves had fallen upon hard financial times.
For many years, the family ran a thriving party supply store in Norfolk and they in turn, contributed significant party goods to children’s charities run by the town’s police and fire departments.
When their business suffered, like so many others, because of the downturn in the economy, they found themselves facing a lean Christmas without toys for their young son. But on Christmas Eve, they were surprised by a delivery of toys from the same charities they had been supporting for many years.
The family remains forever grateful, Greer said, for the generosity of strangers that brought such happiness to their son at Christmas. Now they are committed to bringing joy to children whose families are facing tough economic times, just like they did before.
Many local families are in need of help this holiday season, and countless children will face the holiday season without gifts of toys. SYFS and DCF are asking the public to please consider donating a new, unwrapped, non-violent toy to one of the following Shrewsbury locations before Sunday, Dec. 14:
Gymnastics Learning Center – 574 Lake St.
Shrewsbury Senior Center – 98 Maple Ave.
Shaw’s Osco Pharmacy- White City Plaza
Avidia Bank – 23 Maple Ave.
Shrewsbury Federal Credit Union-489 Boston Turnpike
Shrewsbury Public Library – 214 Lake St. (the library’s temporary location)
Photo/submitted
