Toys for Tots...vent

[Nancy]

My store has a donation box for Toys for Tots. Very big sign saying lease donate NEW, unwrapped toys here" key word veing NEW.

While leaving the store tonight I checked out the bin to see what was in there and it looks like someone decided to clean out their garage, attic, basement, whatever. These toys were a disgusting mess, obviously played with and not too clean either!

This just burns my butt...why would someone put such yucky things into that bin? If it was your child wouldn't you want them to have nice things?

It's so easy to find nice, new toys to put in there, I manage to do it every year. And this time of year you can find some good stuff fairly reasonably priced.

 

[CA Disney Fans]

Nancy, sorry to hear that you had to experience that. We seem to find some nice, new toys every year too.

 

[PixieDust32]

No kidding! We can find nice toys for less that 10 and 5 bucks! barbies, cars, etc. People are just dumb.
We had the same issue at church, we put a bind outside the church (parking lot) for used items, mainly clothes, shoes, toys, but in a good condition, we give the stuff to the poor families. But Noooo, people were so rude and stupid, they left old and nasty furniture, beds, trash, broken things etc. Ahggggg We had to cleaned it up and it was more work for the church.

 

[Marseeya]

I don't get that. Why can't people just throw stuff like that out? Unless something's in perfect condition, I don't send it to charity -- and Toys for Tots, I wouldn't give them something used at all.

 

[Nite0wl71]

We have a box where I work. I haven't seen people put in old toys but we have customers who take the toys thinking they are free. We have had to put huge signs on all sides telling people not to take the toys.

 

[aprilgail2]

I do volunter work for a local toy drive for sick and needy kids and we have boxes out in a chain of local restaurants and I do the pick ups..you would not believe what ends up in there...I spend more time finding dumpsters to toss out the old used toys during the weekend while I am doing pick ups....it clearly states new toys., we have no place that will take the used toys, no child centers here will even take them, they must be new...one time I found the box full of used clothes!!!

 

[eeyore kelly]

It just proves that there are really rude people in the world

 

[Nancy]

We have a box where I work. I haven't seen people put in old toys but we have customers who take the toys thinking they are free. We have had to put huge signs on all sides telling people not to take the toys.

I think that's even worse than putting old toys in the bin!

We get food left in our bin also, but at least we know where to take that, the food goes right to the local food bank.

Luckily most people do not dump their junk in the bin, usually we get some nice stuff.

 

[golfgal]

I am on the board for our local toys for tots type program and we don't usually get used toys in the boxes we set around town, which is good. We do have people bring used toys during our collection and distribution week. If the toys are in good shape we will send them out unwrapped with the family boxes we put together (we also send out a box of food that is the equivalent of a Christmas meal in our program). In the family boxes they might get anything from Christmas Cd's, sweaters, blankets, etc. People will donate all kinds of stuff that isn't appropriate for kids. We do try to use what we can but we do end up tossing things. A lot of people come in with the attitude that if they are getting free stuff then they should be happy with what ever the get. It is pretty sad.

Our program runs a little different then Toys for Tots. We don't have any qualifying standards that have to be met (income guidelines--not sure it TFT does though). We wrap all our gifts into presents that are about a $25 price range. We try to include at least 2 or 3 items in that gift if possible. We usually have filler things that we don't attach a price to like Nike or name brand socks, mittens, hats, coloring books/crayons, etc. I love this organization and we have a blast during distribution week putting everything together. I will have to post before and after pictures when we are done because it is quite amazing.

Last year we got a $1000 check from a company in Illinois, Connell and Company, just because they heard about us from another company they did business with and liked the idea behind our program. That was amazing!

 

[daisyduck123]

That's horrible!
Wouldn't it be great if the store's video camera was able to catch that person on tape dumping those old toys in there? Then the news could broadcast it to the public the next time they do a segment about donating to charitites, causes, etc. , ....letting the public know what not to do & also embarrass the heck out of that person.

 

[Stitchfans]

That is so rude and so horrible. How can someone do something like that?

 

[laurie31]

Stuff like that is why the charities collecting for Katrina victims didn't want donations of goods. All us wonderful folks here on the DIS would send nice things but it's unreal how many people "donate" things not fit to be thrown away

I had a friend who lost everything in a fire. She and her husband both worked and insurance was covering everything so they were far from destitute (but the insurance wanted RECEIPTS - um...hello, who still has the receipts for all the furniture and things they own...and even if they HAD saved them, they would have been lost in the fire with everything else. They were moving, and the moving van wrecked and burned. All they had were a few things they took with them in their car - their children's baby books and a few clothes.)

Anyway, until they were able to get the finances straightened out and buy new things, her DH's coworkers brought them things. She was appalled. She said they got furniture that was so gross and mildewed, it had to have been in someone's garage or basement for years. She said she didn't want to seem ungrateful, but many things were not even fit to use. Why would people think anyone - no matter how desperate- would want *junk*?

So, yes, new toys for the kids at Christmas. Just because a child is in a family that doesn't have the means to provide gifts doesn't mean that child should think Santa would bring him worn-out dirty toys

As for the people stealing the donated new toys, holy cow! How low can you get!

Laurie

 

[Jen_in_NH]

We just finished up the Scouting for Food drive a while ago, and it was amazing the things people put in the bags. There was food that expired in 1994, jars that were open and half used, things with mold on them. For gosh sakes, if it's garbage, throw it away!

Jen

 

[inaminute]

Wouldn't it be great if the store's video camera was able to catch that person on tape dumping those old toys in there? Then the news could broadcast it to the public the next time they do a segment about donating to charitites, causes, etc. , ....letting the public know what not to do & also embarrass the heck out of that person.

And wouldn't it be HILARIOUS if the video showed the person being humilitated was some little kid who just wanted to help some other little kid by donating his old toys? Nah, it couldn't possibly be something that innocent. There must be something awful that would cause someone to leave used toys like that.

What's the big deal? Someone left used toys. They aren't wanted. Take them out and dispose of them. No problem.

 

[summerrluvv]

I do volunter work for a local toy drive for sick and needy kids and we have boxes out in a chain of local restaurants and I do the pick ups..you would not believe what ends up in there...I spend more time finding dumpsters to toss out the old used toys during the weekend while I am doing pick ups....it clearly states new toys., we have no place that will take the used toys, no child centers here will even take them, they must be new...one time I found the box full of used clothes!!!

Goodwill will take them. That's where I send my son's old toys and other odds and ends to. I despise Goodwill, however, the thrift store I used to donate to no longer accepts drop offs and I'd rather not have to "organize" a pick up.

 

[summerrluvv]

We just finished up the Scouting for Food drive a while ago, and it was amazing the things people put in the bags. There was food that expired in 1994, jars that were open and half used, things with mold on them. For gosh sakes, if it's garbage, throw it away!

Jen

LOL that sounds like the stuff I got from the last exchange I did here on the boards