Central Jersey Toys for Tots needs your help

I know it seems like these stories are popping up every day, but there is another non-profit feeling the pinch of reduced donations in the time of COVID-19. It’s a local branch of the Marines Toys for Tots campaign in Central New Jersey called “Jamie’s Angels.” According to CBS 2 New York, it’s named for Jamie Vanderveer, a Marine Corps veteran who died last year at just 50 years of age.

He collected items for the toy drive for over 20 years and told his wife, Tonianne, that she would have to assume those duties once he was gone. That’s when she and her family set up a non-profit to coordinate their toy drive and named it Operation Jamie’s Angels; Tonianne and her niece, Alexandra Daras estimate that they collected over $10,000 worth of toys in last year’s drive, but this year is a different story.

What was a steady flow last year has slowed to a trickle this year with so many people out of work, so while it’s understandable that people can’t be generous as they might have been before, Tonianne and Alexandra that they’ll be able to make the holidays brighter for some children. If you feel like you can help, the easiest way to do it is via their Amazon Wish List; you can also drop off an unwrapped new toy at Alexandra’s store, the Pretty Pink Rooster Boutique in Bernardsville.

From the Toys for Tots website: The primary goal of Marine Toys for Tots is, through the gift of a new toy, help bring the joy of Christmas and send a message of hope to America's less fortunate children.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle. Any opinions expressed are Bill Doyle's own.