A major metro Toys For Tots campaign needs a new Warehouse

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Marine Corps Toys for Tots of Gainesville say they have to quickly move out of their donated warehouse space. The timing could not be worse. That is because the non-profit is two weeks into a 90-day national campaign that collects new, unwrapped toys.

“We do about a thousand families a year and right now, we already got 400-plus applicants and it’s not even the end of October yet,” says coordinator Kristy Graham.

Every year, those toys are given as Christmas gifts to kids in need in the community.

“From newborn to 17-, 15-year-olds. The kids that need toys, we get what we can for them and give it out generously,” says Cmdt. Marine Corps League Gary Verheyen.

Al those toys are stored inside a donated warehouse in Hall County. A couple days ago, the non-profit got some unexpected news.

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“The landlord had rented out the facility to a tenant. The tenant needs to get in here as soon as he can to start construction to bring the building up to code for a business,” says Graham.

Graham says they have to be out in a week and have not been able to find a new donated space to move to. If they do not get one soon, she says the campaign could suffer.

“It is 6,000 children who won’t be able to get toys. We will have to tell those families they will have to go elsewhere and right now there really is no elsewhere for them to go,” she says.

If you would like to help, you can reach Marine Corps Toys for Tots of Gainesville coordinator Kristi Graham at gainesville.ga@toysfortots.org

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