Christmas is practically upon us, and that means it is time to prepare for the season of giving. For some, however, the gift-giving aspect of the season is a financial burden.
Each year, Area Relief Ministries in Jackson holds a toy drive to collect gifts for families and children in need.
This year, Union’s School of Social Work is partnering with the agency to help with its annual toy drive.
Toys will be accepted from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 at drop-off locations in the social work suite in the Blasingame Academic Complex and in the Office of University Ministries.
After collecting toys each year in its toy drive, the agency sets up a Christmas toy store, where families can go and pick out gifts, just as if they were shopping in a real store.
“The toy drive is where different partners in the community advertise to collect toys for ARM, and after the collection they deliver the toys to ARM so that we can give them away during the toy store,” held at Englewood Baptist Church’s ‘Warehouse’ building,” said Nicole Schmidt, director of Client Services for the organization.
Schmidt added that the toy store serves “roughly 300 children a year, which equals about 1,200 toys and bikes provided through toy drives from the community, churches, colleges, hospitals, banks and other local organizations in Jackson.”
Kyleigh Carter, senior social work major, is helping to coordinate the drive, along with the help of faculty, adult studies social work students and master of social work students.
Carter said she appreciates Area Relief Ministries’ unique approach.
“ARM’s toy store is a unique twist on providing toys during the Christmas season,” Carter said. “ARM collects the toys, organizes them and essentially creates a store full of toys so the parent or guardian can choose toys for Christmas instead of getting toys from somebody else their children may not like.”
Carter added that the financial struggle for families to provide at Christmas is also an emotional struggle, causing parents to feel insufficient.
Carter said the purpose of the Toy Store is to diminish that struggle.
“The toy store treats these families with dignity and encourages autonomy because they allow the families pick the toys themselves for their children,” Carter said. “I think this is an incredible way to empower families because you are giving them a choice.”
To gather donations, the School of Social Work will set up drop off locations in the social work suite of the Blasingame Academic Complex and in the Office of University Ministries, Carter said.
“We hope to get enough toys to give to ARM for their toy store; ARM serves a lot of families through the toy store, and we want to ensure they are able to supply enough toys and options for the families who attend the toy store,” Carter added.
Schmidt mentioned that students can get involved by donating toys, donating money for toys, hosting toy drives and volunteering to help at the toy store.
GET INVOLVED
Toys will be accepted from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 at drop-off locations in the social work suite in the Blasingame Academic Complex and in the Office of University Ministries.
Toy store volunteers can sign up at areareliefministries.org.
