Toys for Tots lunch to raise funds
By Kathy Thomson
Slow cooked barbecue, tasty desserts, friendly servers, and a chance to donate to a good cause await everyone who attends the annual Toys for Tots fundraising luncheon at the Youth Center this Sunday, Nov. 24.
The free-will donation meal, which will be served from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., raises funds to help provide Christmas gifts to disadvantaged local children ages zero to 11.
Marine SSgt. Doug Beaty coordinates the local Toys for Tots campaign and prepares the meats for the barbecue lunch, while Albany High School National Honor Society members bring the side dishes and desserts, along with serving the meal.
This year, Beaty is planning to barbecue four briskets and about 40 pounds of chicken.
“Brookshire’s has always made a donation toward the food, and we also get contributions from Walmart and United,” said Beaty. “ResourceCare lets us use the Youth Center and supplies a lot of the paper goods.”
The menu will include a barbecue plate of brisket or chicken, beans, salads, and dessert.
The barbecue meal is the biggest fundraiser for the local Toys for Tots program every year. Last year, around $600 was collected.
The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots is to collect new, unwrapped toys during November and December each year and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.
“All of the money raised in Albany is used in Albany,” Beaty added. “Because we have companies that work with Toys for Tots in providing discounts on toy purchases, money that is donated to the program really helps to buy a lot of gifts for the children.”
Beaty works out of town but has placed Toys for Tots collection boxes at the high school and at Dollar General. Monetary collection boxes are at Prairie Star and Vintage Vanilla.
Businesses that want to join in the campaign can call Beaty at 254-212-9684 and he will bring them a donation box.
“This is a community action program, with locals helping out others in their own community,” Beaty said. “So far I have always been blessed with donations, and we have been able to raise a little over $1,000 in Albany each year, which has allowed us to provide three to four toys per child.”
Last year’s meal, combined with additional cash donations and contributions of new toys, provided gifts for 84 underprivileged Albany children from infants through sixth graders.
This is Beaty’s 31st year of coordinating Toys for Tots, including eight years of providing toys to children in Albany.
Applications For Toys
Application forms for Toys for Tots are available at the front desk of the Resource Center for those in need of assistance from the program. The completed applications must be turned in to ResourceCare by Monday, Dec. 2.
Beaty is given the wish list early in December, so he has time to go through the list and purchase toys as needed. The toys will be available for parents to pick up at the Youth Center on Tuesday, Dec. 17, and Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Christmas For Teens
ResourceCare also assists with Christmas for Teens, which provides gifts for approximately 35 to 40 junior high and high school students in Shackelford County each year.
The deadline for Christmas for Teens applications is this Friday, Nov. 22.
The teens can be enrolled in the program by either their parents or by a school counselor. Applications are available at ResourceCare, from Albany High counselor Jenny Scott or from Moran principal Jo Hise.
“The information sheets (with names blacked out) will be attached to ornaments, placed on a tree, and taken to participating churches on Dec. 1,” said Feed Store executive director Tisha Wilkins. “Church members can pick an ornament from the tree and go and shop for their student.”
The unwrapped gifts need to be delivered to the Feed Store by Dec. 10.
Gifts will be wrapped before the Wednesday, Dec. 18 pick-up date.
Those wishing to make contributions to the gift program can send a check with the memo notation “Teen Gifts” to Resource Care Center at PO Box 2435, Albany TX 76430.
Adopt A Senior
There are 40 senior adults currently signed up for the Vittles By Vehicle program, and Resource Care has asked members of the community to adopt all of them this holiday season.
Each senior was given the opportunity to make a wish list, and program director Ragan Riley will provide the list to whoever adopts the senior, to give them shopping ideas.
Gifts for the seniors should be returned to ResourceCare by Friday, Dec. 13 so they can be wrapped and delivered with the Vittles by Vehicle meals on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
To adopt a senior, call Riley at 325-762-2447 ext. 101.
Christmas Baskets
Christmas Basket applications are available at ResourceCare and at many local churches.
The annual food drive is sponsored by the Albany Ministerial Alliance and strives to provide a box filled with the ingredients needed for a traditional holiday meal to families in need of assistance.
Donations for the holiday meals will be accepted at this Sunday’s community Thanksgiving service, or they can be handed to any of the ministers in the Alliance or mailed to the Ministerial Alliance at PO Box 3084, Albany, Texas 76430.
Additional Needs
“We know of some families that could be adopted this Christmas season, if anyone would like to go above and beyond,” said Riley. “We could use gift cards to Brookshire’s for those in need of purchasing food. We would also like anyone who is able to do so to donate non-perishable food items that we can distribute to those in need this Christmas season.”
