December 8 – A local nonprofit will be giving away free new toys for kids just in time for the holidays.
Grace House, 2638 Lafayette St., will begin offering items for babies and children 12 and under on Saturday, December 14, at 10 a.m.
Grace House director Ruth Costello said that in these challenging economic times, providing new, age-appropriate toys can help ease some of the burden on parents and guardians.
“These are tough times, so if your kids can come and get a new gift, that would be great,” Costello said. “It’s about giving, and we love it, and we do it all for a smile.”
In lieu of the traditional free shopping time, which takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Grace House, the toy giveaway on Saturday, December 14, will be devoted entirely to ensuring that every child receives an age-appropriate gift and treat bag, Costello explained.
“We ask families to arrive early,” Costello said, “but we have organized it so there should be a short wait.”
Families can come in, provide the age of their child(ren) and then receive a new gift.
According to Costello, donations for this event come from individuals and groups throughout the community, but there is always room for more donations as they expect more than 120 children to attend the giveaway.
“The age group we always need the most donations for is eight to 12,” Costello said. “That group could be the biggest challenge to buy for.”
The giveaway is planned at a time when Grace House has already seen hundreds of people come to its weekly shopping hours to receive warm clothing and other items.
Costello talked about a family who lost their home to a fire just before the holidays, and another family where the father lost his job just before Thanksgiving.
After the toy giveaway ended, Costello said December 21 is the last day Grace House will be open until it resumes operations in the new year.
Charles Christian provides the evening news for News-Press NOW and is also an ordained minister at United Methodist Churches in Union Star and Helena, Missouri. Charles can be reached at charles.christian@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowChristian.
