Santa recently visited Seymour resident Tom Baklik at the 13th annual breakfast event at Baklik's home to collect toys for needy children./ Contributed photo
DERBY - The 2017 Valley Toys 4 Kids Campaign is under way and TEAM, Inc. seeks to provide more than 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 Technical High School 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 more than 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 Toys 4 Kids can be dropped off at TEAM, Inc. headquarters, 30 Elizabeth St., weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and various drop-off sites throughout the Valley.
The list of drop off sites can be found on TEAM’s website.
Financial donations are accepted and should be sent to TEAM, Inc., Valley Toys 4 Kids Campaign, 30 Elizabeth St., Derby, 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.-4 p.m. until Dec. 15 TEAM, Inc.’s headquarters at 30 Elizabeth St.
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 information on donations, volunteering, or the application process, contact Diane Stroman at dstroman@teaminc.org or 203-736-5420 ext. 234.
This is a press release from TEAM Inc., a private, 501c(3) non-profit corporation whose mission is to strengthen our community by educating, supporting and empowering individuals and families.
TEAM programs serve the communities of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Milford, Orange, Oxford, Shelton, Seymour, and Woodbridge.
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