Lighthouse drive to benefit children
MIDDLESEX TWP — They've made a list and checked it twice at the Lighthouse Foundation. And this year it's a long one.
Children that will be eligible for a toy or other gift from the Lightouse's toy drive this year number 1,100, said Cindy Cipoletti, the executive director of the Christian outreach nonprofit at 1302 E. Cruikshank Road. “That's 500 more than we had last year.”
Cipoletti said, “We ask churches, organizations and businesses to donate new toys or gift cards.” This is the 20th year for the Lighthouse toy drive.
Cipoletti said children eligible for toys are those from any family that was a recipient of the Lighthouse's food bank aid or had received other assistance from the organization in 2016.
The families are sent invitations to register their children for the toy giveaway, and this year the list topped out at 1,100. Registration is now closed.
Victoria Smouse, director of programs and community outreach, said the toys will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 17 at the Bakerstown United Methodist Church, 5760 William Flinn Highway, Gibsonia.
Cipoletti said, “We partner with that church as well, and they have a big open meeting room.”
Smouse said parents will come to the church and be guided by volunteers acting as personal shoppers to select a gift or gifts for their children.
“We will walk with them and help them select toys,” said Smouse. Volunteers will even gift wrap the selections.
Up to 50 volunteers have been collecting the toys from collection points and placing them in a storage facility before transporting the toys to the church and sorting them according to age and gender of the intended recipients the night before the giveaway.
“We truly don't know how much we have until the evening before when we set up,” said Cipoletti.If any age group of either gender seems to be lacking the appropriate gifts, volunteers will be sent out to local stores to bring back the needed gifts, Cipoletti said.Smouse said even though the list has never been bigger, the response from donors has been good.“A lot more businesses this year are interested in helping,” she said.Those wishing to donate can still bring toys and gift cards to the Lighthouse.“We're extremely happy to do this every year. We are extremely blessed to have the support of the community,” said Cipoletti.She said she hopes that support will still be present in the New Year when the Lighthouse hopes to launch its next project.“January and February are really tough months. People are very generous before Christmas but everybody cuts back financially after the holidays,” she said.But, Cipoletti said, she hopes benefactors will still come forward as the Lighthouse considers remodeling and expanding its food bank.“Because our food bank is serving twice as many people, we don't have the space,” she said.“We are looking to completely renovate it or we are going to have to look for another space,” Cipoletti said.
