USA: SS Member - TOYS-FOR-TOTS

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Strangely I sent two emails to the Gunnery to Sgt. in charge of Toys for Tots and filled out two volunteer applications when this thread first started. To date I have not received any response.is there something I need to do and be more proactive? If so what do you suggest I do?

Thanks for your interest.

If those are the only contact means given, I would suggest you watch for (media promotions) any TFT Events in your area. Toy Drives are a great place to get face-to-face with the folks who are running the show.

Please bear in mind that this IS the busiest time for TFT and the coordinator may just be a bit overwhelmed with activities. Your showing up could show real interest rather than being a distraction. Most mustering of volunteers happens between January and mid to late summer. The "fun" kicks off by September.

Go for it! It's rewarding beyond imagination.

 

[SCSG-G4]

Strangely I sent two emails to the Gunnery to Sgt. in charge of Toys for Tots and filled out two volunteer applications when this thread first started. To date I have not received any response.is there something I need to do and be more proactive? If so what do you suggest I do?

I contacted SSG Flood in September and got a reply from him, then went to the WETS myself to see him. They are really busy as this is an 'additional duty' assignment for the full time Marines at the Reserve Centers. After the first of November those guys are all putting in 16-18 hours a day till Christmas to get their regular job done and work the Toys-for-Tots campaign. If you don't put out the effort to see them early, you're just a fading blip on their radar.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

I contacted SSG Flood in September and got a reply from him, then went to the WETS myself to see him. They are really busy as this is an 'additional duty' assignment for the full time Marines at the Reserve Centers. After the first of November those guys are all putting in 16-18 hours a day till Christmas to get their regular job done and work the Toys-for-Tots campaign. If you don't put out the effort to see them early, you're just a fading blip on their radar.

Well stated, Mike. Thanks.

 

[jw4x4]

On Thursday 12-12-13, I drove my 932 to Wright Patterson AFB. We loaded it full of toys. It sat at the trans depot until yesterday morning 12-14-13. I convoyed with 2 highback HMMWV's pulling 1102 trailers, a 7 ton Oshkosh, and a cabover pulling a large tandem trailer (not sure of the nomenclature). Destination was a school gym where the toys were unloaded and distributed. I spent the entire day there. Seeing the smiles on the faces and the true gratitude from the recipients is such an uplifting experience. Next is a run to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Dayton, then Hara Arena.

 

[blisters13]

It was a very small contingent, just one Marine and me last week and two Marines and me yesterday, but we managed to fill two boxes! I am sure there were other locations being manned for this drive.



Both of these men are Reservists and one has a job where he is only getting 10 to 12 hours a week. I offered to try to get him in the door at the steel mill I work at if his plans for becoming a sheriff's deputy don't pan out.

Of course, there were the usual jokes from veterans who came by about the truck being marked "Army"! It was also funny how many girls from 7 years old to teens who wanted pics with the Marines but were too shy to do it! It was a fun thing to do; I will offer to help next year.

bchauvette: I can understand your disappointment, but I had to contact two different people just to get a response, then it was the third person who was finally the authority for the event, and then it was up to me to contact WallyMart management and then fill out their paperwork. I never even met the staff sergeant who authorized the event. So don't give up, just plug away at it. I now know I will have to start at least 6 weeks earlier than I did this year.

 

[SteveKuhn]

I think that the donations this year really do reflect the state of the economy far more than anything else. I heard that Picatinny had stopped distributing the week before the train due to low supplies. Two boxes for an impromptu day at WalMart is a pretty darned nice haul. The big stops on the train reflect a drop off point for a pretty fair number of groups who've been working the program for weeks if not months.

Three years ago, I think that the 2 Marines that rode the train were on a duty weekend. At every other event I've been to, these guys were volunteering their time and providing their own transportation and expenses, just like everybody else. Picatinny told us that they do get volunteer retirees from The Marine Corps League and the like, but it's quite common for not only the Marines assigned but also their families to be working until 10 - 11 at night. That includes the guy who'd be answering emails and processing applications.

Remember the Law of Raspberry Jam: "The wider you spread it, the thinner it gets." It applies doubly to these guys, so be persistent in getting with the program. It's a really fun and very a worthwhile place to put the effort.

I'm getting a charge out of seeing how many people are involved across the country.

Steve

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

San Angelo, TX

Saturday the 14th was our last 12-hour collection event, again at the very popular H-E-B grocery store and the crossroads intersection it's located at.

Both toys and cash donations were record-setting... the current OIL BOOM is doing wonders for our local economy.

SORRY - no pictures of this weekend's events (Just look at the early pics - it was pretty much the same deal.)

We now enter our pre-distribution and ultimately the distribution phases. God has been VERY GOOD to the Toys-For-Tots Drive this year. May ALL who have donated toys, money, time, facilities, RV's, MV's, support vehicles, advertising and media coverage, and others be blessed in manifold measure.

Keep up the good work!

 

[microjeep]

Thanks guys for sharing your experiences and advice, I got off to a late start and did not get to participate but have my contact info and will start early next year, Merry Christmas to all.

 

[jw4x4]

Saturday 12-21-13 was the final run of this year. We left WPAFB in Fairborn, Ohio with a police escort to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Dayton. My M932 Trucktor, an HMMWV highback with an M1102 trailer, an Oshkosh 7 ton MTVR, and an M1083A1P2 with an MTV 5 ton trailer all loaded to the gills. After the initial unload, I was tasked with additional pickups at Toys-R-Us and Ruby Tuesday.
Steady, heavy rains (3 to 5+ inches) put a damper on the crowd. Despite staying open longer than advertised, there were still toys left over. Gunny Sergeant Kitchens said NOTHING was going back. He rallied the troops and loaded what was left into the 1083/trailer and my truck. We hit the streets (well after dark) and made 3 drops at apartment housing projects. The final stop was a Dayton Police station where the trucks were emptied into a big meeting room and the mission was complete. A long, exhausting day. My thanks to the Marine Corp Reserves and all of the volunteers and donators that keep Toys For Tots rolling.

 

[jw4x4]

And yes, I know that Gunny Kitchens is giving me "rabbit ears" in the pic. He is a great guy and I let him get away with it.