Toys for Tots Distribution

For the second consecutive year, Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Operation Sharing Program partnered with Toys for Tots and Good360 to provide toys, books, and snacks to children in Appalachia. Over the summer the distributions impacted 13 Appalachian counties and put smiles on the faces of 6,097 children.

“The Toys for Tots distribution is what the children in our area needed to lift their spirits. The pandemic has created a great need and stress among our families,” said Lynn Wilcox, a Youth Services Center director in Johnson County, Kentucky, one of CAP’s service areas. She worked with Operation Sharing staff to coordinate a distribution in the county.

One way the pandemic has put stress on students and their families is virtual schooling. The Toys for Tots distribution tremendously helped the mental stability of students by giving them a chance to interact with people, Wilcox said. The distribution also helped bring some relief to families who face challenges on top of the pandemic’s impact.

“This event helps us, and it makes my daughter feel good knowing that the schools are doing something like this for her and her peers,” one mother told CAP staff during the distribution. “We lost our home a month ago to a fire, and my daughter lost almost all of her things. The youth services coordinators have really supported us as we try to get our lives back together. We are grateful that they helped coordinate this event to help these kids feel happy.”

Wilcox said this event would not have been possible if organizations like Good360 and Toys for Tots did not take the time to think of how they could make an impact in Appalachia. She is thankful they partnered with CAP to help spread joy to children and families facing poverty.

“By working together with our partners, we can do so much more,” Wilcox said. “One person alone can’t get a lot accomplished, but when we can work together as a community, we can make much more of a positive impact.”

In addition to the Toys for Tots distribution, Operation Sharing helps provide supplies and essential items to school districts like Johnson County. The program provides snacks, clothing, and other basic needs to students and their families, allowing Wilcox to focus the grant funding she receives on impactful youth opportunities and programming.