Toys For Tots Drives Begin Oct. 1 In Montgomery, Chester Counties

MONTGOMERY AND CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Toys for Tots' 2021 season kicks off in Montgomery and Chester counties on Oct. 1, and residents of both counties can donate gifts to the campaign in their area.

Toys for Tots, run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, has been providing disadvantaged children with toys, books and other gifts around the holidays for 73 years.

This year, Montgomery County will be covered by several Toys for Tots campaigns, and volunteer coordinators in each area will focus on collecting toys and funds from the communities they serve. Donors can identify their campaign in the map below.

Chester County will be covered by a single campaign, and that campaign will cover the southern portion of Montgomery County as well.

"While each Campaign is seeking to increase the number of volunteers assisting, some have other needs based on their specific circumstances," the organization said in a news release.

Read on to learn about your area's Toys for Tots campaign. All information has been provided by Jeffrey Smith, coordinator of Toys for Tots of Chester and Southern Montgomery Counties.

Harleysville

Harleysville covers a large portion of the center of the county. The Coordinator, Barbara Jansons, has been involved in Toys for Tots for 21 years, and became an official Toys For Tots Coordinator for her region in 2018. Due to the loss of prior Coordinators in Montgomery County, Barbara has continued to expand her region to what it is today.

She has recently acquired some desperately needed warehouse space but is always in need of volunteers to help with delivering supplies, picking up toys, pulling orders and packing toys.

Monetary donations and sponsorships are always needed to help with purchasing toys for the age groups for which we do not get a lot of donations, such as 0-2 yrs. and 10-17 yrs.

Barbara plans on retiring from her full-time job at the Lower Salford Twp. Police Department in November 2021 and hopes to be able to devote even more time and effort to her Toys For Tots campaign for many more years to come.

Pottstown

Pottstown stretches from the Berks County border to Upper Providence and Collegeville. A former volunteer, the current Coordinator is Regina Astheimer, and she is seeking volunteers, drop locations, and donations.

Red Hill

Red Hill is focused on the northernmost Townships in the County and is headquartered in the Township of Red Hill.

Along with volunteers, they want to make sure that those in need in their community sign up on the Toys for Tots website; they want to make sure they’re helping everyone they can.

Hatboro

Hatboro is a new campaign, covering the southeastern part of the county including Bryn Athyn, Cheltenham, Hatboro, Horsham, Lower Moreland, Jenkintown, Rockledge, Upper Dublin, and Upper Moreland.

The coordinator will be Alex Myers, and he plans to work closely with organizations in his area to meet the needs in his community.

"We are seeking locations to act as Toy Drop Sites, volunteers of all types, and individuals and organizations interested in donating to this new campaign," Myers said. "We look forward to building a solid foundation this year that can commit to serving the local area for years to come!"

Southern Montgomery County/Chester County

The southern portion of the County is being handled by Chester County Toys for Tots. The Coordinator, Jeffrey Smith, is in his second year in the role, and has agreed to cover areas where no local Coordinator could be found in time.

"We did not have an official campaign in Chester County in 2019 – all those who were helped that year received it from our neighboring campaigns. That’s why we need to return the favor for this year." Smith said. "However, I’m effectively starting from scratch in a lot of these areas. I not only need volunteers; I’m seeking businesses willing to act as Toy Drop Sites."

To raise funds for the increased responsibilities of his Campaign, Smith will be hosting a Toys for Tots Charity Golf Tournament on Oct. 18.

During the 2020 Campaign, Marine Toys for Tots distributed over 20.2 million toys, books, and games to over 7.3 million children. Despite the pandemic, Marines, Sailors, and volunteers distributed more toys to more children than they did in 2019.

The Toys for Tots Foundation intends to do even better in 2021, Smith said.