Shrewsbury – Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services, Inc., (SYFS) in partnership with The Rotary Club of Shrewsbury held its 14th Annual Toy Drive Dec. 17 at Trinity Church. Hundreds of gifts were collected and distributed to families in Shrewsbury and to families involved with the Worcester Department of Children and Families (DCF).
The toy collection began promptly after Thanksgiving at the Shrewsbury Public Library, the Shrewsbury Senior Center, UniBank, Central One Federal Credit Union, Westbrook Crossing, Avidia Bank, Shrewsbury Federal Credit Union, and Gymnastics Learning Center. In addition to the support from the collection sites, significant contributions were made by St. Anne’s Human Services, the employees of Shrewsbury Electric Light and Cable Operations (SELCO), AA Transportation, and All-Access Physical Therapy. The successful drive provided toys, clothing and gift cards for 27 Shrewsbury families and dozens of children in DCF care.
“Many children in our community and those involved with DCF go without a gift during the holidays. With the vital support of our donors and partners, we made sure they were not forgotten,” Christine Mowry, SYFS Executive Director said.
“A gift for a child represents the belief that every child deserves our care and support. It sends them the message that they are valued and gives them the confidence to continue on with hope for the future. We would like to thank our donors, community partners, and The Rotary Club of Shrewsbury, without whose support this wouldn’t have been possible,” she added.
