Evansville Mayor Proclaims "Toy Town Day"
In partnership with Toys for Tots of Southern Indiana, toy and gift donations will be collected at over 100 locations across Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Posey counties. Join us as we kick off toy collection efforts for 2023! Featuring Mayor Lloyd Winnecke proclaiming Friday, November 17, 2023 as "Toy Town Day".
The public and media are invited to join in the celebrations at The Salvation Army of Evansville, located at 1040 N. Fulton Avenue. The program begins at 8:30 a.m. in the gymnasium and will feature special speakers, including Mayor Winnecke.
In 2022 The Salvation Army served over 1,000 families through Toy Town, and there are more than 1,000 families who have signed up this year for Christmas assistance.
One family that was helped in 2022 shared their experience:
"Toy Town is a beautiful, generous display of how giving from the heart truly blesses so many. Whether that be of toys, time, or food. It's love given from many hearts, unto so many other's. The children and families that receive are truly blessed with this program. I know I'm personally so very grateful for the kindness and hope received through these blessings to my children."
The toy collection will run from November 17 through December 18 with distribution to registered families taking place on December 19 and 20 at The Salvation Army. Volunteers are needed to make the distribution event a success, so the public is encouraged to visit SAEvansville.org/volunteer to get signed up today.
Toys can be dropped off at more than 100 locations in and around greater Evansville. For a full list of locations, as well as information about how to get involved in Toy Town, visit SAEvansville.org/toy-town. Online shoppers will also find an easy way to donate to Toy Town by visiting The Salvation Army's online gift registry on Walmart.com. Gifts purchased online are shipped directly to The Salvation Army, so donating can all be done from the comfort of home.
The Toy Town program has been helping to bring Christmas joy to local families for many years. One parent that participated for the first time in 2022 shared with Salvation Army staff what the program meant to her family:
"We have had a really hard year, and I'm in tears typing this but you don't understand how grateful and appreciative my family is thank you so much God bless each and every one of you and all the volunteers. I don't think it could get better! It was amazing it's my first time and I will never forget the people who helped me. They were fantastic."
The Salvation Army and Toys for Tots' work is only possible thanks to the donations and volunteers of our great community. Thank you to our community for your support and allowing us to make stories like these possible for so many suffering hardships this holiday season!