AmeriCorp

AmeriCorp Aboard for Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Program
SYOSSET, NY -- December 22, 2004

The U.S. Marines wage different campaigns on different fronts in many parts of the world. Their longest ongoing effort has been on native ground, however; and it has been an entirely peaceful one. We’re talking about Toys for Tots, of course, which began in 1947 as an independent operation conducted by Marine Reservists in the Los Angeles area. An officer’s wife had made up a Raggedy Ann doll and asked her husband to deliver it to an organization that took care of needy children at Christmas time. When he found that there was no such agency, he was persuaded by his wife to start one. Five thousand toys were collected, and the program was so successful and popular that the Marines converted it into a nationwide campaign the next year and have never looked back. Last year they pulled in 15 million new toys for distribution from Miami to Anchorage.

Employees at AmeriCorp started to collect funds and to buy toys independently for this program well before the company had begun its Thanksgiving Food Drive. When the Charity Committee began considering candidates for its December toy campaign, it had the good example of those personnel who had already collected hundreds of dollars, which they then converted into scores of bright new toys. The committee decided officially to join the unbidden early birds and make the Marines’ campaign its chief focus in 2004. Eventually, the accumulation of dolls, toy trucks, board games and other attractive presents rivaled the volume of food and health items that had just been shipped off to EAC.

On the Wednesday before Christmas, the AmeriCorp van embarked -- fully laden again –carrying hundreds of toys to the warehouse collection point. Upon its arrival, the Marines took a quick tally and decided to reroute the holiday freight to one of the community agencies with which they cooperate annually. Ironically, the agency happened to be our friends at EAC, who also think about needy children at holiday time. They were surprised at first to see the familiar vehicle delivering an avalanche of toys on behalf of the Marine Corps; but, when they thought about it again, they were not surprised at all.


Close window	AmeriCorp Aboard for Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Program SYOSSET, NY -- December 22, 2004 The U.S. Marines wage different campaigns on different fronts in many parts of the world. Their longest ongoing effort has been on native ground, however; and it has been an entirely peaceful one. We’re talking about Toys for Tots, of course, which began in 1947 as an independent operation conducted by Marine Reservists in the Los Angeles area. An officer’s wife had made up a Raggedy Ann doll and asked her husband to deliver it to an organization that took care of needy children at Christmas time. When he found that there was no such agency, he was persuaded by his wife to start one. Five thousand toys were collected, and the program was so successful and popular that the Marines converted it into a nationwide campaign the next year and have never looked back. Last year they pulled in 15 million new toys for distribution from Miami to Anchorage. Employees at AmeriCorp started to collect funds and to buy toys independently for this program well before the company had begun its Thanksgiving Food Drive. When the Charity Committee began considering candidates for its December toy campaign, it had the good example of those personnel who had already collected hundreds of dollars, which they then converted into scores of bright new toys. The committee decided officially to join the unbidden early birds and make the Marines’ campaign its chief focus in 2004. Eventually, the accumulation of dolls, toy trucks, board games and other attractive presents rivaled the volume of food and health items that had just been shipped off to EAC. On the Wednesday before Christmas, the AmeriCorp van embarked -- fully laden again –carrying hundreds of toys to the warehouse collection point. Upon its arrival, the Marines took a quick tally and decided to reroute the holiday freight to one of the community agencies with which they cooperate annually. Ironically, the agency happened to be our friends at EAC, who also think about needy children at holiday time. They were surprised at first to see the familiar vehicle delivering an avalanche of toys on behalf of the Marine Corps; but, when they thought about it again, they were not surprised at all.