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Volunteers and community partners make Christmas merry and bright for kids
At The Salvation Army warehouse in Bell, California, a cardboard sign announces visitors have arrived at the North Pole.
While the plain metal shelving and pallets of brown boxes might seem like a far cry from Santa’s Workshop, inside the warehouse, volunteers serve as de facto elves, organizing and sorting Christmas toy donations for children in need across Southern California.
Mountains of toys fill a row of tables, stacked high in colorful piles of dolls, action figures, toy cars and plush animals. Meanwhile, Santa’s helpers hustle to sort each item by age group and gender, from ages 0-14.
As Christmas approaches, the donations arrive by the truckload from Mattel and corporate donors, plus individuals who drop off toys at collection boxes across the region.
“It requires a lot of hours of volunteer work,” said Pamela Dong, Divisional Family Services Director, who oversees Christmas operations at the Bell Warehouse.
Volunteers sort the toys so the items can be sent to the locations where they are needed most, both at The Salvation Army’s corps and community centers and through other local nonprofit groups.
“There’s value in getting the community involved. It generates positivity during the holidays.”
Monique Lott, Greystar Management Coordinator
At The Salvation Army locations, the toys help fill any gaps in Angel Tree donations—an initiative that invites the public to fulfill children’s Christmas wish lists, ensuring every child receives a gift and experiences the joy of Christmas.
“It’s a large undertaking that requires a lot of planning but it’s worth it because it guarantees that kids have presents under the tree on Christmas morning,” said Dennis Kopczak, Christmas Warehouse Coordinator at the Bell warehouse.
Kopczak said the broad assortment of donated toys ensures children of all ages have something to unwrap. From wooden puzzles to headphones, donations include unique items tailored to different age groups and interests.
“The goal is to provide toys for babies and older kids,” Kopczak said, noting over a thousand children benefit from the more than 5,000 toys sorted at the Bell warehouse each year.
Additionally, Toys for Tots contributes some of its drop box donations in exchange for using the Bell warehouse as a storage and sorting hub, which extends The Salvation Army’s Christmas outreach.
“Working alongside Toys for Tots is beneficial because, in turn, they help us with additional toys that we might not otherwise get,” Dong said. “It’s a great way for nonprofits to work together.”
Along with receiving supplemental items from Toys for Tots, The Salvation Army works with other businesses and organizations to gather donations.
Real Estate company Greystar began supporting The Salvation Army with gifts in 2021.
Each year, Greystar organizes toy drives at its property leasing offices across California to encourage clients to donate toys.
“Serving the needs of our communities is important to Greystar,” said Monique Lott, Greystar Management Coordinator. “We’re happy to utilize our platform to support The Salvation Army, especially during the season of giving.”
According to Lott, Greystar leasing offices collect an average of 5,500 toys for The Salvation Army each year.
She said that each leasing office distributes flyers to promote individual toy drives. In some cases, for extra motivation, they offer coffee and donuts to donors or provide gift-wrapping services in exchange for donations.
“There’s value in getting the community involved,” Lott said. “It generates positivity during the holidays.”
Once Greystar toy drives conclude, Lott and other staff members volunteer to deliver toys to the Bell warehouse and Salvation Army corps.
In addition to Greystar, Dong said students from Larchmont Charter School donated 400 toys and volunteered their time to sort at the Bell warehouse. It’s the community collaboration that helps make Christmas possible for many, she said.
As Dong said, “We couldn’t support this many kids with Christmas gifts without the help of our donors and volunteers.”
Do Good:
- It’s because of people like you The Salvation Army can serve more than 24 million Americans in need each year. Your gift helps fight for good all year in your community. It’s an effort to build well-being for all of us, so together we rise—and that good starts with you. Give to spread hope with a donation of funds, goods or time today.
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