Toy Drive helps over 1,000 local kids

Christmas was almost two weeks ago but firefighters are wrapping up their work and closing the book on Toy Drive 2010. Demand was high again as starting in October and as late as Christmas Day families came in record numbers to request assistance through out program. When it was all said and done approximately 170 families in Forest Grove, and 100 in Cornelius asked for assistance this year. All together over 1,000 children in the Forest Grove and Cornelius community were able to wake up on Christmas morning and receive a gift that they otherwise would not have been able to.

We did not accomplish this on our own however as local schools, businesses, civic groups, churches, and countless individuals helped our efforts. We would like to especially thank the following groups for their support of this year's project.

City Club of Forest Grove
Forest Grove United Church of Christ
Forest Grove Movie Theatre and Cornelius Cinemas
Stephanie Lommen Attorney at Law
John L. Scott Market Center
Forest Grove Chamber of Commerce
Forest Grove High School Staff and Students
Mrs. Schramm's Kindergarten Class at Gales Creek Elementary School
Mrs. Bond's Kindergarten Classes at Harvey Clarke Elementary School
Mrs. Vandehey's Kindergarten Classes at Harvey Clarke Elementary School
Forest Grove School District Administration Office Staff
Joseph Gale Elementary School Staff and Students
Summit Pointe Neighborhood Association
Cornelius Walmart
KGW News Channel 8
Stimson Lumber Employees
Forest Vila Apartment Residents
Forest Grove Les Schwab
City of Forest Grove employees
Cornelius Dutch Bros. Coffee

The "Toy Room" at Station 4 just before Christmas Week

All of these business and local groups put bins up and brought in donated items for us to get to the right families. The week before Christmas our firefighters started to sort through the massive pile of toys that had amassed in our Station 4 Conference Room organizing all of it and finally taking one afternoon to go through and find the perfect gift for an 8 year old boy or a 3 year old girl. With Christmas music playing in the background it took volunteers just over one hour to fill orders for 157 families, and the line began to form outside Station 4 as people came in to pick up their gift baskets. On December 26th Firefighters loaded up the small amount of items that were left over and put them in storage for families that need help throughout the year or to help at Christmas 2011.

Thank you Forest Grove and Cornelius for donating items and showing your generosity once again in 2010. We look forward to a day when this project is not needed in our community but we are so thankful that you are here to make it happen!