By Helina Bailey
Christmas is fast approaching. Stockings are hung and the lights are up. Many families have begun to fill up the space beneath their Christmas trees with all the gifts from their children’s lists for Santa...but some children in Union County won’t wake up to gifts on Christmas morning. For many, this has been a tough year. Some families in the community are facing food insecurities this holiday season and lacking the means to put gifts under the tree.
While Toys for Tots, Under the Tree, and Teen Angel provided gifts earlier in the month, families with older children or families who missed their registration deadlines in early fall, have found themselves in a bind. As I searched for local programs to help ease the burden of those who are struggling, hoping to publish a list of locations to pick up toys closer to Christmas, I was disheartened with what I found.
With locals wanting to help and asking for ways to get involved this holiday season, I cooked up a last-minute Union County Toy Drive. Mayor Bailey graciously agreed to accept toys at his office and the Farmer’s Market Pavilion was booked as the distribution location for Dec 21st. After having secured a donation location and distribution location, a signup sheet was released online.
Donations immediately began to filter in. A Walmart Wish List was published on Facebook after the first child signed up for the program. A Corryton business, Solid Rock Realty (who does not know I am publishing their good deed) notified me shortly after the wish list went on Facebook to let me know that she purchased everything on the list.
As the list grew, so did the donations. The outpouring of community support has been heartwarming. The good people of Union County are eager to help and ensure the children are taken care of. As more families began to sign up, so have the donations.
With a week left to go before the toy drive ends, there is still time to sign up for a gift. If you have a child, or know of a child who is in need of a Christmas gift, sign up for the Union County Toy Drive by sending you Name and contact info along with your Child’s name, age, gender, size, and their Wishlist to Helina Bailey at HelinaBailey1@gmail.com .
To donate to this toy drive, please drop new unwrapped gifts off at the county courthouse in Mayor Bailey’s office at 901 Main Street Suite 124 in Maynardville, Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm. To access the Wishlist for the children signed up for the Union County Toy drive, visit https://www.walmart.com/lists/shared/WL/f5050a46-fefa-4059-abb7-8ea5513… Merry Christmas, Union County!