For the third consecutive year, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport employees donated toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots campaign, gathering 1,023 gifts for children in need. The toy drive exceeded last year’s collection, although many employees are still teleworking because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Each year, Toys for Tots relies on local businesses and communities to support their goal to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute them to less fortunate children in the community. The campaign aims to provide three to four toys for each child in a family that has applied to the program.
Patricia Tavares, Division Newport’s Toys for Tots coordinator, said participating in the program is an important way for employees to give back to the community.
“Collecting 1,023 toys means we put a smile on the face of approximately 255 children for the holidays,” Tavares said. “This has been another year of struggles for so many and knowing that we helped so many children warms my heart.
“The outpouring of support this year was amazing from employees assisting with wrapping boxes, distributing boxes, picking up toys, sorting toys, to loading the toys into the box truck,” Tavares said. “I could not do this without awesome co-workers and the support of management. It’s amazing how many employees want to volunteer.”
The Toys for Tots campaign, which began on Nov. 18, requires organizing volunteers and 18 collection sites, obtaining collection boxes and getting them placed throughout Division Newport’s campus.
This year there was a challenge getting Toys for Tots donation boxes because they were on backorder, so Tavares contacted co-worker Greg DeLuca and he was able to provide boxes from a local shipping office. Tavares and her team wrapped the boxes with holiday paper to make them look more festive.
One building was not on the list as a collection site but the employees there created their own donation box. They collected one of two bikes donated in the drive, a child’s drafting table and many toys.
“I want to make it convenient for folks to be able to donate,” Tavares said. “I am amazed at the generosity. I was hoping to beat last year’s collection total of 972 toys and we did. A huge thank you to all who donated.”
Volunteers from the Corporate Operations Department, who assisted Tavares for this year’s drive include Todd Cabral, John DiMaio, Paul Furtado, Sam Lloyd, James McGuire, Seth Tilley, Doug Gilmore, Liz Gilmore, Greg DeLuca, Rob Davis, Mark Jasper and Matt Travisono; and Anthony Cataldo of the Undersea Warfare Combat Systems Department. Support was also received from contractors Pam Zoraian, Ryan McLarney, Tammy Condry, James Reilly, Isaiah Brown, Joseph Markman, Mark Carter and Julia Bell Holloman.
For more information on how to donate toys to children in need, visit the Toys for Tots Foundation website at www.toysfortots.org.
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