October marked the official kick-off for the Toys for Tots 2021 holiday campaign running through Christmas. U.S. Marines and volunteers will be conducting 830 local toy collection and distribution campaigns in all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

U.S. Marines and more than 35,000 volunteers, millions of local supporters, hundreds of corporate partners of Toys for Tots will be collecting toys through Christmas. Marines and volunteers will be engaging with local businesses, media and individuals within their communities collecting new, unwrapped toys and distributing those gifts to less fortunate children allowing them to experience the joy of Christmas.

 

Find a local TFT campaign near you by visiting our website at www.toysfortots.org

Toys for Tots, a 74-year national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, provides happiness, and hope to less fortunate children during each Christmas holiday season. The toys, books, and other gifts collected and distributed by our Marines and volunteers during the Christmas season offer these children recognition, confidence, and a positive memory for a lifetime.

Toys for Tots also provides support year-round to less fortunate families experiencing challenges and exceptional circumstances, thus sending a message of hope beyond the holiday season.

There are an estimated 15 million children living in poverty. The mission of Marine Toys for Tots is to bring the joy of Christmas to less fortunate children with the goal of delivering a message of hope that will inspire youngsters to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens. The objectives include having a positive impact on the development of children, creating or restoring self-esteem, and bringing all elements of communities together in a common cause for three months each year.

Last year, the Marine Toys for Tots Program filled the holiday hopes and dreams of 7.4 million less fortunate children in over 800 communities nationwide. Since 1947, over 272 million children have been assisted.

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not-for-profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.

For more information, please visit www.toysfortots.org. You can follow the local chapter on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RGVToysforTots/. Information about their literacy program, getting books out to economically disadvantaged children, is also available on their website.