Local Middle Schools Boost CHFFA Toy Drive

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - With over 300 kids in their care, Children’s Hope Foster Family Agency has a long wish list for Santa each year. Therefore, they ask for help from the community to meet their children’s needs.

In October, social workers ask foster children for 3 of their most desired Christmas gifts. The agency then compiles tags with the child’s first name, age, and their requested item. Tags are then made available for businesses to take – many opting to make them available for employees, customers and even the businesses themselves to pull a tag and purchase the desired toys.  The toys are returned to the location where the tag originated, and Children’s Hope collects them.

The top participating businesses in the area are Studio J, and Orchard Hospital. In surrounding areas, businesses that take large amounts of gift tags include Hardrock Casino, Colusa Casino, Tri-Counties Bank (6 different branches), Janyo Yogurt of Yuba City and PG&E. Individuals such as Ms. USA Eileen Safford from Beale Air Force, who is an advocate for Foster Care and Children’s Hope Foster Family Agency, also help collect and raise awareness.

This year, our local schools got into the spirit, raising awareness for the toy drive, and collecting gifts themselves.  Biggs Middle School helped collect 75 toys for the drive and Sycamore Middle School ASB helped deliver their own collections to the Foster Agency.

The toy drive has ended for this year – these helpful little elves having delivered their gifts to the agency – ensured that Santa will be able to surprise hopeful children Christmas morning.