Lighthouse toy giveaway helps families in need
GIBSONIA — Santa's helpers were out in force on a rainy Saturday morning helping ease the holiday stress for nearly 200 families.
While people lined up in the rain outside Bakerstown United Methodist Church, 5760 William Flinn Highway, inside the hot chocolate, coffee, orange juice and doughnuts were arranged awaiting the start of the Lighthouse Foundation Toy Shoppe.
Now in its 34th year, the toy giveaway this year will help 200 families with 437 children put presents under the tree, said Theresa Rodriguez, the Lighthouse Foundation's marketing and grant manager.
Participants in the Lighthouse Foundation's food bank registered to take part in the event which ran from 9 a.m. to noon.
Once inside the church, they were given a numbered ticket listing the number and gender of children needing gifts.
When their number is called, a personal shopper escorts them to the gifts arranged by gender and age. Volunteer wrappers are on hand to gift wrap the selections.
Rodriguez said, “We've had it at the church for 10 years. We needed the space.” She said 12 staff members joined with 50 volunteers to help make the toy selection process run smoothly.
In addition to volunteering their time, Rodriguez said churches, individuals and organizations conducted collections to gather the toys and clothes needed for the event.
One volunteer was Bakerstown United Methodist Church member Darrick Brown who, with his wife Heather, has worked on several of the toy and clothing giveaways.He was arranging doughnuts and orange juice before the doors opened.“The doughnuts are all donated,” he said. “I go around to GetGo, Giant Eagle and Shop 'n Save to get the OJ and coffee.”Asked why he keeps volunteering, Brown said, “I do it for the joy of Christmas and giving and helping.”In addition to gifts, the toy giveaway takes some of the pressure off parents at this time of year, said Victoria Spreng, executive director of the Lighthouse Foundation.“This helps to alleviate the stressor of not being able to provide for Christmas,” she said.Scott and Cindy Micon of Evans City, who were waiting for their number to be called, agreed.“It definitely takes the pressure off,” said Cindy Micon who was there to shop for her two daughters and her son.
Tammy King of Butler was looking for presents for three — two girls and a boy. She said, “I will get some 'Frozen' stuff for the girls. The boy, he's not real particular. The older kids here have a gift card in their future. It's easier to shop for the girls and the younger kids.”It was the first time at the event for Nina Moore of Butler who was hoping to get some presents for her 3½-year-old daughter.“I don't know what I expected. I still don't know what to expect,” Moore said.Still, she had particular gifts in mind.“Dolls. We have a dollhouse, and I was going to look for dolls for it,” Moore said.With the doors opened, coffee and doughnuts being passed out and numbers steadily being called, it seemed the toy-selection process was running smoothly.Rodriguez said, “The only bad thing is the rain. We need to get an awning or something for next year.”
