Kiwanians Clay Christy and Nellie Snyder help organize Toys for Kids. The Cornelia Kiwanis Club has given away tens of thousands of toys to Habersham County children through the years.
If you think buying Christmas presents for your kids is tough imagine buying for 500 kids! That’s what the Cornelia Kiwanis Club does every year through its Toys for Kids program. And they did it again this year.
On December 18 the club distributed over 1,000 toys, books and stuffed animals to 215 families in Habersham County. Because of their generosity and hard work 500 children will wake up to presents on Christmas day.
Asked why they do it, Kiwanian Nellie Snyder responds, “Because that’s what we do.” Clay Christy adds, “Our mission is serving children of the world and it starts locally. There’s no better place to give back than where we live, where we worship, where we are. These are the families that we interact with daily and these are the ones that need help. We are honored to be able to give back as they richly bless us throughout the year.” Christy adds, “It’s a wonderful thing.”
A wonderful thing indeed
It takes a lot of time, money and people to pull off a Christmas shopping spree this big. Kiwanis members work on the program year-round but the big push comes in October when they put out boxes for toy drives, distribute flyers and mail fundraising letters. While Cornelia Kiwanis handles the money and shopping, Habersham County School counselors collect and review applications from families. Families with the most children and greatest financial need are registered for the program. They receive a ticket into the toy distribution center at First Baptist Church of Cornelia and, at their appointed time, shop for free gifts for their children. It’s a well organized, highly effective process and what’s more, it directly serves Habersham County.
“It all stays here in the county,” Christy explains. “It doesn’t go to Atlanta and outside the state as other organizations do.”
This year Cornelia Kiwanis raised $6,000 and collected hundreds of toys and 17 bicycles from businesses, churches and schools. To fill Santa’s sleigh they shopped at Big Lots! and Davis Brothers in Cornelia (both stores give them generous discounts). Snyder says Jane and Blake Foster at Davis Brothers have supported the program for years. Each year they open their store just for Kiwanis so members can shop ’til they drop. By shopping locally Kiwanis completes the community circle. The money they raise here in Habersham is spent here in Habersham to support families here in Habersham.
Thankful beyond words
Tammy Terrell says she’s grateful for the Toys for Kids program and everyone who makes it possible. “My girls wouldn’t have a Christmas without it,” she says. Her friend Christy Shook says, “It’s a great thing.”
Rosalva Tinoco of Demorest shopped with the aid of an interpreter. Rosa Gaines explained the process and read information off toy boxes as Tinoco and her 19-month old son Christian waded through the make-shift toy store. She couldn’t speak English but she didn’t need to, the smile on her face said it all.
Community effort, community spirit
The Toys for Kids program began in the 80’s under the guise of Hills of Habersham. Back then volunteers went knocking on doors and distributed toys to needy families. Since Kiwanis took over the program in 1992 it’s become more organized and inclusive. Today Toys for Kids is a full-on, community-wide effort. Not only is the local school system involved but local non-profits, too. Volunteers for Literacy of Habersham County provides books for the children and Family Connection provides jackets and clothes.
This is the second year Family Connection has been involved. The organization distributed clothes and jackets donated to them by Habitat for Humanity, Kiwanis and the Highway 441 Auction House. Director Lee Kilby says while there’s been some improvement in the local economy there are still a lot of families hurting in Habersham. “People are sometimes working part-time jobs instead of full-time or they’re working at minimum wage, so, we still have a lot of need in the county.”
Small community, big impact
Cornelia Elementary School counselor Steve Miraglia helped parents shop. Some of the students he works with will be receiving those toys. Miraglia knows that for many kids the toys from Kiwanis are the only toys they’ll receive. “It makes a big impact on them,” he says.
Toys for Kids certainly has made a big impact on Snyder. This was her twenty-first year volunteering with the program. She’s watched it grow through the years and she’s grateful. “I would like to say thank you, thank you, thank you for all the support that we have received this year for these children because otherwise they would not have a Christmas, so, Thank You!”
Christy’s been with the program for eight years and although he doesn’t live in Habersham County he pours his heart and soul into the program just like Snyder and all of the other volunteers. Why does he do it? “For me, as a parent, there’s nothing better than to see the smile on a child’s face, to wake up and know that Santa Claus has been there. It’s the best!”
More pictures from the Cornelis Toys for Kids giveaway on Thursday, December 18, 2014.
