As Thanksgiving approaches, it's time to turn our attention to the upcoming holiday season. This year, as we watch our economy struggling to recover, Toys for Tots of East Pasco needs to set our sights higher then ever before. Here in Pasco County, the number of children living below the poverty level continues to grow. Providing a joyous Christmas for these "at risk" Tots continues to challenge our program and our caring community.
Toys for Tots of East Pasco and our brother program, West Pasco Toys for Tots, will again be counting on your compassionate assistance. As in past years, our two programs have stationed toy collection boxes at key locations throughout the county. Area businesses and other cooperating organizations have again offered us space in their workplace to collect toys.
Again this year, on the first Saturday in December (Dec. 5), Pasco residents will be asked to place new, unwrapped toys next to their mailboxes for our postal letter carriers to retrieve. Additionally, many caring groups and organizations will sponsor Toys for Tots parties and events to collect toys for our fully registered Tots in need.
Pasco County school counselors and our dear friends from Premier Community Health Care Inc. will assist us here in east Pasco and register our families and children. And again, we will be partnering with our gallant Pasco County firefighters to assist us to pick up the donated toys. Again this holiday season, both Heyl Trucking and the Garrison Trucking Company will allow us to store our ever-growing toy collection in their truck trailers. Pasco County, the city of Zephyrhills, Pasco-Hernando Community College, and Wesley Chapel Elementary school will again allow us to sort and distribute our toy collection to our pre-registered families. By mid December, a host of community elves will descend on our program and help sort and distribute our collected dolls, balls, bats, and other assorted Christmas toys
A faith-based organization, Food for Tots, will again disseminate huge boxes of food stuffs. Participating Rotary Clubs will again distribute socks, underwear and toothbrushes. Our intent this year is to provide a most Merry Christmas for between 3,000 and 4,000 east and central Pasco children. And, the West Pasco Toys for Tots program will be doing the same for the children living on that side of the county.
Bob Loring, Zephyrhills
