The crowd a few weeks back at the 13th Annual Christmas Breakfast at Diane and Tom Baklik’s home.
The 2017 Valley Toys 4 Kids Campaign is underway and TEAM, Inc. is hoping to provide over 1,200 needy Valley children with something special under their Christmas tree this year.
This campaign collects new, unwrapped toys for the under-served children ages birth to 12 years of age in the Lower Naugatuck Valley.
More than 70 TEAM volunteers attended the annual Toys 4 Kids kickoff breakfast recently hosted by the Derby Senior Center.
Breakfast was prepared and served by Emmett O’Brien Culinary Students under the direction of Culinary Department Head Chef Perfecto Valle.
Diane and Tom Baklik, owners of The Yankee Clipper Barber Shop, celebrated the spirit of caring and giving by hosting their 13th Annual Christmas Breakfast, which garnered over 700 toys to kick off the toy drive.
“Christmas is a difficult time of year for the families we serve due to the expense and expectations of the season,” said David Morgan, TEAM President/CEO. “The holiday toy program really is an incredible program – it makes the kids’ faces light up to be able to still “have a holiday” and it really relieves a huge burden of stress from parents who have very little financial resources to purchase toys. Many of our children suffer the effects of poverty every day, continuously going without, knowing that luxuries like new toys or clothes are simply not available to them. Our message is that Christmas should be fun and not just about survival. Contributions to TEAM’s Toys 4 Kids Toy Drive help our families provide a festive holiday for their children.”
Donations of new unwrapped toys to Toys4Kids can be dropped off at TEAM, Inc. headquarters, 30 Elizabeth Street in Derby, weekdays between 8:30am and 4:30pm, and various drop-off sites throughout the Valley.
The list of drop off sites from TEAM’s website – www.teaminc.org:
(If you can’t read the embedded document, click here to download a PDF)
Toys 4 Kids Drop Off Sites 2017 by The Valley Indy on Scribd
Financial donations are accepted and should be sent to TEAM, Inc., Valley Toys 4 Kids Campaign, 30 Elizabeth Street, Derby, CT. 06418.
The annual Toys 4 Kids program provides thousands of Christmas toys for children from low income families across the Valley – children who otherwise might “go without” during the holidays.
“Christmas can be a financially and emotionally challenging time for families already concerned about money. With the toys collected along with financial contributions, we will be able to fulfill the Christmas holiday dreams of many less fortunate children, who otherwise might have been overlooked” said Diane Stroman, TEAM’s Executive Vice President.
Last year due to the generosity of the community, TEAM was able to provide 1,234 children with toys to place under their Christmas trees.
Applications to receive toys are currently being accepted weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Dec. 15 at TEAM, Inc.’s headquarters located at 30 Elizabeth Street in Derby.
Parents/Guardians who apply for the program must meet low income eligibility requirements and provide identification and proof of residence for themselves and a birth certificate or social security card for their children.
For additional information on donations, volunteering or the application process, contact Diane Stroman at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 203 – 736-5420 ext. 234.
