Toys for Joy and Jerry Woods Holiday Engine programs to provide food and toys for those in need during the holiday season are back again for 2023.
Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, Puget Sound Fire Fighters (IAFF Local 1747) and Kent Firefighters Foundation organize the annual event.
Toys for Joy is a program where new, unwrapped toys for children up to 12 years of age are collected, sorted, wrapped and delivered to local food banks 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 will go towards helping local families. Community members can drop off donations at any of Puget Sound Fire’s 17 fire stations. Donations will be collected through Dec. 20.
Puget Sound Fire will host community toy sorting and wrapping events at Station 75 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. For dates and reservation information, visit pugetsoundfire.org/toysforjoy.
The public can call the holiday program at 253-569-8835 or email toysforjoy@pugetsoundfire.org for more information about the Toys for Joy program.
The Jerry Woods Holiday Engine will be visiting several Maple Valley, Covington, and Kent neighborhoods Friday and Saturday evenings, Dec. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16, and neighborhoods in SeaTac and Tukwila Sunday and Monday, Dec. 17 and 18. The engine will be collecting food, gifts, and monetary donations that will go to the local food banks for distribution. The Holiday Engine neighborhood schedule will be listed at holidayengine.org.
Community Support – The annual Toys for Joy and Holiday Engine programs only exist because of the generous donations of the local community. Historically, that generosity has been tremendous, and this year, we respectfully ask for the community’s continued support. A link to donate to Toys for Joy through the Kent Fire Fighters (IAFF Local 1747) website can be found at https://www.iaff1747.org.
Both programs will collect donations through Dec. 20 and then will focus on the distribution of the toys. In addition, the holiday programs will distribute food/gift baskets right before Christmas to approximately 30 families in need.
Puget Sound Fire operates 17 fire stations and is responsible for providing service to a population of more than 260,000 in an area covering 120 square miles.
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