Triangle, VA (Jan 28, 2021) – Toys for Tots, the U.S. Marine Corps’ premiere community outreach program, delivered a record setting 20.2 million toys to 7.4 million less fortunate children in 2020.
2020 was a year unlike any other causing economic devastation for so many. COVID took hold early in the year leaving many millions of families in dire need. While Toys for Tots is primarily known as a Christmastime charity, we did not want to wait until the holiday season to provide support. Marines are known for being the first to fight and running to the sound of battle. During this COVID-19 crisis, Toys for Tots partnered with Good360 to provide immediate relief and assistance by distributing two million toys, games, and books to COVID-impacted families in the spring and summer. These gifts provided many benefits during this extraordinary time of need. They helped to fight boredom, relieved anxiety in children, facilitated a return to normalcy, and even contributed to the educational development of our Nation’s children, especially while they’ve been out of school.
As the pandemic continued to spread – causing states and municipalities to impose significant restrictions – the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, in conjunction with Marine Forces Reserve, looked ahead to the holiday season and made preparations and plans for how best to collect and distribute toys to children in need amid the virus.
Despite COVID restrictions greatly impacting our local campaign operations and significantly limiting the number of volunteers permitted to help collect, sort, and distribute toys, the Marines and local campaign Coordinators of the Marine Toys for Tots Program rose to the occasion and established over 800 local toy collection and distribution campaigns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. As anticipated, the demand was much greater than the supply in terms of the number of families with children seeking our support, but Marines, in their typical fashion, found ways to improvise and adapt. They were very innovative about how they collected and distributed toys. They established curbside or drive through collection and distribution methods, as well as enlisting support from other local social service agencies in order to accomplish the mission.
Seeing a deficit of toys develop in the millions in November, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation sent out many communications soliciting for help. The American public heard our appeal and saw the need. Hundreds of thousands of individuals, as well as a record number of organizations serving as National Corporate Sponsors, answered our call making significant donations allowing the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to augment local toy drives with over 8 million toys valued at over $77 million.
Toys for Tots does not set a goal of children supported in a given year – rather, our goal is to support every family with children seeking our assistance. The American public has never let Toys for Tots down. With the help from so many, Toys for Tots was able to accomplish our mission distributing a record number of over 20 million toys to 7.4 million children who otherwise would have gone without. “Unprecedented” seems to be the buzz word for most 2020 events, and there’s no better way to describe the generosity of the American public and our Corporate Sponsors – it was truly unprecedented.
2020 Accomplishments
- Distributed 20 million toys to 7.4 million less fortunate children from 808 local campaigns in all 50 states
- Distributed over 2 million toys, books, and games to COVID-impacted families outside of the holiday season
- Distributed 1.8 million books to children through the Toys for Tots Literacy Program
- Distributed toys to 180,000 children through the Toys for Tots Native American Program
- With support from Toys for Tots Sponsors, augmented local toy drives with over 8 million toys valued at over $77 million
- Met all 20 standards of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance and maintained a 96:4 Program to Support Ratio
About Marine Toys for Tots
Toys for Tots, a 73-year national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, provides happiness, and hope to less fortunate children. The toys, books and other gifts collected and distributed by the Marines offer these children recognition, confidence, and a positive memory for a lifetime. It is such experiences that help children become responsible citizens and caring members of their community. Last year the Marine Toys for Tots Program fulfilled the holiday hopes and dreams of over 7 million less fortunate children in over 800 communities nationwide. Since 1947 over 272 million children have been assisted. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not-for-profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. For more information, visit www.toysfortots.org.
Toys for Tots Contact: Ted Silvester, Colonel USMC (Ret)
Vice President Marketing & Development
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
(703) 649-2021