{"id":17574,"date":"2012-11-19T11:19:35","date_gmt":"2012-11-19T15:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=17574"},"modified":"2012-12-21T15:34:12","modified_gmt":"2012-12-21T19:34:12","slug":"christmas-for-kids-toy-drive-in-full-swing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2012\/11\/19\/christmas-for-kids-toy-drive-in-full-swing\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas for Kids toy drive in full swing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Donations of new, unwrapped gifts are collected in the barrels and will be used to stock the Toy Cottage in downtown Dayton, where parents and foster parents can choose items for their children.<\/p><\/div>\n

Festive, colorfully wrapped barrels are popping up around the Dayton campus as part of the annual Christmas for Kids toy drive.<\/p>\n

Every year, Wright State works with Montgomery and Greene County Children Services and their associated organizations to collect gifts for Dayton-area families in need.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m honored to be a part of this project and thrilled to be able to see first hand the joy of giving from our wonderful Wright State community,\u201d said Annette McCoy, marketing coordinator for Wright State\u2019s Office of Communications and Marketing. \u201cThe generosity of Wright State faculty, staff and students has made an incredible difference for so many children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Donations of new, unwrapped gifts are collected in the barrels and will be used to stock the Toy Cottage in downtown Dayton, where parents and foster parents can choose items for their children. The Toy Cottage is managed by FLOC (For Love of Children), volunteers who are passionate about caring for neglected, abused and foster care children in the Montgomery County community.<\/p>\n

Beth Mann, president of the FLOC board, said there are more than 5,000 children in the Dayton area who are neglected, abused or in foster care.<\/p>\n

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Donations for the Christmas for Kids toy drive at Wright State doubled last year in part because of broader participation.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIn offering Christmas to children who would be living a sad and empty holiday, you not only offer the gift of giving, you offer that gift of hope,\u201d Mann said.<\/p>\n

Greene County Children Services keeps a list from which donors can pick a child or family to \u201cadopt\u201d for the holidays. Donors will receive wish lists from their adoptees.<\/p>\n

Helen Williams, CARES unit coordinator at Greene County Children Services, said Wright State has a huge impact on the success of the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really appreciate Wright State\u2019s spirit of giving, and the children and families appreciate it too,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in donating to the Toy Cottage, items should be dropped off in the donation barrels by Wednesday, Dec.12. Barrels are located in:<\/p>\n