It’s that time of year again for the annual Toys for Joy and Jerry Woods Holiday Engine programs to provide food and toys for those in need during the holiday season.
Kent-based Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, Puget Sound Fire Fighters (IAFF Local 1747) and Puget Sound Firefighters Foundation announced the 2025 drive on Nov. 14.
Toys for Joy is an annual program where new, unwrapped toys for children up to 12 years of age are collected, sorted, wrapped, and delivered to Kent Food Bank, Covington Storehouse and Maple Valley Food Bank, and outreach programs for distribution to families in need in local communities within Puget Sound Fire’s response area.
In addition to toys, non-perishable food, and monetary donations (cash and checks made out to Toys for Joy) are also accepted and used to purchase toys and necessities for local families. Community members can drop off donations at any of Puget Sound Fire’s 17 fire stations. The agency’s response area includes Kent, Covington, Maple Valley, Tukwila and SeaTac. Donations will be collected through Dec. 31.
For a list of the station locations, go to https://pugetsoundfire.org/about/fire-station-locations/.
The Jerry Woods Holiday Engine will visit several Covington, Kent, and Maple Valley neighborhoods on Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20. The engine will collect food, gifts, and monetary donations that will go to the local food banks for distribution. The Holiday Engine neighborhood schedules for Covington, Kent, and Maple Valley will be listed at holidayengine.org. Holiday engines will also visit neighborhoods in SeaTac and Tukwila on Dec. 11 and in Kent on Dec. 18 with routes to be posted on the Puget Sound Fire website.
Both programs will collect donations through Dec. 31 and then will focus on distribution efforts. In addition, Puget Sound Fire will distribute holiday gift baskets to approximately 45 families in need.
Puget Sound Fire will host community toy sorting and wrapping events at Station 75, 15635 SE 272nd St., in Kent throughout December to prepare the gifts for delivery to local food banks. These events are open to the public, and due to their popularity, reservations are required.
• Wednesday, Dec. 3, 6–8 p.m. (sorting)
• Wednesday, Dec. 10, 6–8 p.m. (sorting/wrapping)
• Wednesday, Dec. 17, 6–8 p.m. (sorting/wrapping)
For donation and reservation information, visit pugetsoundfire.org/toysforjoy.
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