Oct. 26—SOUTH PORTLAND — For weeks, volunteers have been busy at the Portland Press Herald Toy Fund workshop unpacking pallets of toys and books and filling bags with gifts destined for families in the South and Midcoast of Maine.
It’s a labor of love for the organizers, volunteers and donors who dedicate their time and money every year to ensure children have a joyful holiday season. For 75 years, the charity has used money donated by readers to buy gifts for children of all faiths and backgrounds during the holidays.
“As we celebrate this milestone, I am grateful to Matthew Barron’s compassion and determination to make Christmas dreams come true for the first 911 children who benefited from the fund in 1949,” said Karen Beaudoin, president of the toy fund. plate.
“Seventy-five years after he approached the (Portland) Evening Express with his idea to buy toys for the children of families on welfare, the Toy Fund has served tens of thousands of children thanks to thousands of generous donors and hundreds of dedicated volunteers.”
Barron, assistant director of welfare in Portland in 1949, saw how families were struggling in a tough economy and knew that many children were unlikely to receive Christmas gifts. He sought the help of his friend, Robert Bruce Beith, who was then editor of the Portland Evening Express and author of a local news column. And they came up with a simple plan.
Beith, writing under the pseudonym Bruce Roberts, asked readers for donations and Barron used the money to buy toys for needy children. Readers helped them far exceed their $1,000 fundraising goal by donating a total of $3,903.55, plus $500 worth of new toys. Gifts purchased by the fund that year included 500 dolls, 60 sleds, 100 footballs, 1,500 books and 2,500 mechanical toys. Toys were distributed to 1,500 children.
“Those who had to deal with what would otherwise have been a Christmas without Santas were brought cheers not only in Portland, but also in South Portland, Westbrook, Casco, Scarborough, South Windham, Gorham, Owl’s Head and Wiscasset,” the reported Evening Express at the time. .
Eventually, the name Bruce Roberts became synonymous with the annual Toy Fund. When the Evening Express closed in 1990, its sister paper, the Portland Press Herald, kept the tradition going.
Over the past 75 years, the Toy Fund has provided millions of dollars worth of toys to more than 100,000 children. Last year, gifts were distributed to 2,619 children and donors contributed nearly $200,000 to continue the tradition.
The Toy Fund’s long history “shows that the need never goes away,” said Jeff Ham, the charity’s operations manager.
“This fund has a lot of community support that continues year after year,” he said. “We can see that in the donors who make it part of their holiday season.”
These donors will allow the fund to grow and help more children in need, Beaudoin said. “I think Matthew Barron would be happy to see what his dream has become,” she said.
To connect with more families in need, volunteers help spread the message in their communities. And the Toy Fund’s organizers and board have focused on building new relationships with social service organizations, schools and other groups that play a critical role in helping families connect with the Toy Fund.
“They have been especially helpful in spreading the word about what we do for new Mainers, who may not know where to turn for help making the holidays more memorable for their children,” Beaudoin said.
Applications for assistance are now open for families from York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Androscoggin counties. The application deadline is December 1 and families will be notified when to pick up toys at the Press Herald office in South Portland.
To make a donation online, visit pressherald.com/toy-fund.
For volunteers like John Voyer, those pick-ups and their interactions with families are a highlight of the holidays.
“Obviously when people show up to get their toy bags, they are very grateful,” Voyer said.
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