With the holiday season in full swing again, everyone is struggling to rush to stores in time to get their loved ones the gifts they have wished for and have awaited all year. But there are those who have fallen on hard times and have no means to provide anything at all for their families this Christmas. Some families in this community are facing a Christmas morning full of children with big puppy eyes anxiously anticipating to unwrap toys Santa has brought them, only to find Santa never made it to their doorstep.
Christmas is a holiday all about family, joy, laughter, love and happiness. For children, it is pretty much just about toys! These toys are not just toys. However, they represent something much greater; a very important lesson that if the child was good all year, he or she shall be rewarded. So, by a child not receiving any gifts from Santa Claus, it not only leaves them sad and empty-handed but they have also learned that even if they are good all year, good will not come to them.
In Santa Rosa County, the local United Way strives all year round to help those who have had a hard time making ends meet and to get back on their feet. One of those ways is to provide some holiday cheer for those who simply cannot do it themselves. This feat was simply impossible this year without some serious help from wonderful people in our community. Like every year, donated toys began pouring in from all around the county, but we at United Way are limited in storage capacity. That’s when Kevin Hobbs, a local businessman, stepped in and provided the storage space that was so desperately needed, and so much more. Mike Dallett of Lou Sobh’s Milton Chevrolet, a former Marine, provided some of his Chevrolet trucks to deliver toys to the storage units.
“Lou Sobh’s is run by a marine and whether we’re fighting at war or fighting depression in children in low-income homes, we will win the fight. And this is no different; we will ensure that Toys for Tots is successful again this year,” said Dallett.
1st Sgt. John Baker, also a former Marine, and 50 of his JROTC students at Pace High School covered most of the volunteer hours needed to sort and distribute the toys. Many other truly selfless volunteers also came to help this great cause.
Kevin Hobbs put it best: “Imagine what you can accomplish when you don’t care who gets the credit”.
All in all, working together to achieve a common goal, all those who helped out were able to get over 1,700 children in Santa Rosa County Christmas presents this year. Over 3,500 toys were distributed, including over 275 bicycles that Friends of Bear were able to donate.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Spreading holiday cheer