Salvation Army Needs More Toys, Clothes

The Salvation Army of Greenville's annual Sharing and Caring program is 40 percent short of the items it needs to provide needy children with toys and clothing this year.

The groups says they desperately need items for children up to age 9, in a release sent to wspa.com on Thursday.

Read the complete release below:

The Salvation Army of Greenville County is in need of your help
Annual “Sharing and Caring” Christmas Program short on donations
GREENVILLE – The Salvation Army of Greenville County is in desperate need of help from the Greenville community. It’s annual “Sharing and Caring” Christmas donation program is 40% short of the items needed in its effort to provide Christmas for more than 1,700 of Greenville’s neediest children. Most especially, they are in need of age appropriate clothing and toys for children up to age 9, In addition to the actual items, gift certificates are also accepted.

For more than 50 years, The Salvation Army has been operating its “Toy Shop” to make sure every child in our community has a present to open on Christmas morning. This year, the program will reach more than 1,700 children. The number of families served each year depends on the need in the community, with applications for aid accepted in November. Past years have seen anywhere between 1,000 and 1,600 children receiving these donations.

“It is easy to say that we have reached out to thousands and thousands of children and families in the long history of this program,” said Pam Garcia, Sharing and Caring Project Coordinator. “And, we typically run low on items each year, but we always seem to make it up in the end. This year, we are alarmingly low much earlier than expected, which is why we are asking the Greenville community for its help.”

In addition to making donations directly to the “Toy Shop,” there is also the opportunity to “adopt a family” for the holidays. All of the family’s needs will be met directly by its adoptive family and removed from the Toy Shop list.

Volunteers are scheduled to work everyday between now and December 20th, preparing bags of items for distribution. It is imperative for the Salvation Army to get as many donations in as soon as possible so that all needs are met. Donations can be dropped off directly at the Carolina First Center, adjacent to the Woodside Conference Center,

anytime between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information or to adopt a family, please contact Pam Garcia at 235-4803 x17.