Volunteers will be needed to make the first-year run of Toys for Tots in Moniteau County a success.
A meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27 at the city hall community room for those interested.
Volunteers will sign a liability waiver and provide contact information that night.
Then, Moniteau County coordinator Dan Mesey will explain the different roles volunteers will be needed to fill.
As toys are donated, strong volunteers will be needed to pick up filled boxes from drop-off locations and to unload trucks when corporate donations arrive, such as the 500 toys coming from the national Toys for Tots Foundation.
Once toys are delivered to the local warehouse location, volunteers will be needed to sort the donated items into age groups and by gender. Another group of volunteers will be needed to identify families who could benefit.
Then, volunteers will be needed to go shopping.
First, Moniteau County has a $2,000 store credit with Toys R Us, which may only be purchased $500 at a time. State Rep. Sara Walsh will host the shopping events.
Secondly, the Toys for Tots national organization has arrangements made with sources to purchase toys well below retail prices, allowing donations to go further. Shoppers will be needed to select toys from those catalogs.
From youth to senior citizens, there is a volunteer role for anyone interested in supporting this first-year program.
Mesey noted this year's collection drive is dedicated to U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Leon Deraps, who was killed May 6, 2006, in Iraq. Board member Mike Robertson, owner of Burgher Haus, said several of the youth who work at his restaurant are interested in volunteering, some to earn volunteer hours for the A+ program and others because they are community-minded.
He hopes many individuals and organizations will make time to volunteer with Toys for Tots this season.
"We're a giving community," Robertson said. "If there's a need, we will jump in."
The Toys for Tots program's goal is simple, to make sure underpriviledged children have toys for Christmas.
Board members include Mike Robertson, Dwight Sanders, Jay VanDieren, David Shaul and Norris Gerhart.
They hope to partner with existing holiday family support programs, such as the Central Missouri Community Action's Angel Tree or local church collections.
"Let us buy more toys with less money for programs like the Angel Tree," Mesey said. "If we could partner with churches, let us buy the toys and you buy a coat."
Mesey stressed Toys for Tots is not here to replace any other program. In fact, they hope civic organizations, churches and other programs will help to identify children who would benefit.
"We're not here to compete with existing program but rather supplement other organizations," he said.
All funds and toys donated in Moniteau County will benefit Moniteau County children.
"If we build this program with a solid foundation, it will be bigger next year," Mesey said. "People will realize they get more for their money and we can get more toys."