This time of the year is made of magic. Children everywhere look forward to hearing reindeer hoofs click quietly atop their houses, finding cookie crumbs and an empty glass of milk on the table, and waking up to beautifully wrapped presents with their names on it. Their joy radiates as brightly as the Christmas lights strung up on the tree, shining brightly against the nighttime snow. It’s absolutely infectious and gives us all joy to see these children so happy.
Sadly, there are many disadvantaged children who do not experience the joy of the season. Several don’t receive presents, let alone have a tree to find them under; their families cannot afford it. Some children simply wish for a coloring book and new crayons. Some never have had a doll or a pair of shoes to call their own.
Last year, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to help change some of that misfortune. We stepped in as Santa’s helpers and started hosting a toy distribution event for nonprofits that help the community during the holidays. Many of these organizations have a toy budget strictly for procuring toys to donate during this time of the year, and WIN Warehouse was able to help them make countless children’s dreams come true with pallets upon pallets of toys!
This year, our event was an amazing success. Several organizations received these toys, which helped give a brighter Christmas for needy children. We were able to help incredible nonprofits including the Academy of St. Louis, Mission: St. Louis, RBC Ministries, the American Legion, Bread of Life Pentecostal Apostolic Church, House of Harvest Ministries, Hand to Hand Foundation, Frontline Outreach Ministry, Gear the World, and St. Louis Crisis Nursery.
One of our most enthusiastic recipients, Our Daily Bread Ministries of Canada, formerly known as RBC Ministries, was overjoyed to receive these toys. “When we saw the pallet of toys that WIN had available last year, our staff received them and, instead of just donating cash to a local charity, we made the value go even further by donating the toys,” said Brent Hackett, Executive Director and CEO of the operation. “This is the second year we’ve done this, and our staff gets really excited about it! We were able to donate to 3 charities this year, including the local Salvation Army, the local fire department, and the local Toys for Tots program.”
Closer to home, our friends at Bread of Life Pentecostal Apostolic Church and House of Harvest Ministry received many toys for children and families in need. “WIN Warehouse has been a cornerstone for beneficial items needed in our churches. When we heard about the toys becoming available, we jumped at the opportunity,” said Pastor David Battle at Bread of Life. “Pastor Hamilton from House of Harvest Ministry and I joined together to distribute toys to other needy organizations in the communities where our churches are located. It was amazing to see the joy these donations brought. We were also able to assist other small churches with their toy donations for their members’ families!”
We also had a first-time order from Frontline Outreach Ministry in Michigan. “We worked with Ecorse Community Bible Church in Ecorse, Michigan to help homeless children who don’t even have winter clothes,” said Thomas Faunce from Frontline Outreach Ministry. “This was our first year working with WIN Warehouse, and we were able to team up with them to bring joy to needy children in our community.”
We are so honored, humbled, and thankful to have worked hand-in-hand with these wonderful nonprofit organizations during our toy distribution event this year. There really is nothing like putting a genuine smile on children’s faces, especially during the holidays. We hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday, and we look forward to serving you in the New Year!