The lines for the annual Kent Food Bank toy delivery day began forming at 6 a.m. Tuesday and by the time the Kent Firefighters arrived two hours later to drop off thousands of donated toys, it stretched around the block. The lines continued to grow, even after doors to the food bank opened at 8 a.m.
“In an hour we did a little over 200 families,” said Jeniece Choate, food bank executive director, estimating that the food bank will distribute toys to more than 1,000 families. “That could be anywhere between 2,000 and 3,000 kids.”
The firefighters collected and delivered approximately 6,000 wrapped gifts as part of this year’s Toys for Joy drive, Choate said. Thirty firefighters – and Santa Claus – arrived to help unload the fire trucks loaded down with gifts.
Toy delivery day is one of the busiest days of the year for the food bank. This year, with the economy continuing to languish, a high turnout was expected.
Choate said though the need is up this season, donations also increased toward the end of the year, including those from the firefighters.
Among the donations that came in during the past few weeks was 18 bicycles, completely assembled and with helmets.
Kent resident Carla Holmes spearheaded the drive to collect the bikes.
Holmes started telling friends of her plan and, before she knew it, people had donated more than $1,200 to her cause.
“It was a great snowball in four or five days,” she said. “In four days I had 18 bikes and helmets.”
The bikes were added to another 20 donated by the firefighters. Each person in line was given a raffle ticket, to distribute the bikes fairly.
Holmes said she remembers the excitement of getting her first bike and wanted to share that with as many kids as possible.
“I would rather the kids get outside than sit in front of the TV,” she said.
A shivering Loree McNutt lined up early to make sure her 2-year-old son got a gift. McNutt said she too had a “very tough year” and that the toy she was picking up “means everything.”
“If I didn’t have this, my son wouldn’t have anything,” McNutt said.
Inside the food bank, volunteers buzzed from station to station, picking up and delivering toys to those waiting outside. But as the the holiday season begins to wind down, Choate looked ahead hoping donations would continue and adding that January was one of the food bank’s busiest months.
“Just because the holiday ends does not mean the need ends,” she said.
The Kent Food Bank is located at 515 W. Harrison St., Suite 107. To be eligible to receive assistance a family must live within the boundaries of the Kent School District and bring picture ID and current proof of address (ID only for the homeless). For more information, call 253-520-3550.
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