The Central Baptist Association has rooms full of toys in preparation for its Christmas Toy Drive distribution on Dec. 16.
The Rescue Squad handed over the reins to the Central Baptist Association this year after decades of holding the annual toy drive. Central Baptist Association director of missions Jim Ramsey says their first year doing the toy drive has gone well with considerable support from other community organizations.
He also added it’s been a learning process.
“It’s been going really good,” said Ramsey. “We are learning. This is our first time doing this and so we are learning how to next year make it better and easier for the people. Right now we are just over 100 families and getting close to 300 children that are signed up. We’ve had individuals and companies and some of the different people in the motorcycle groups come by and drop toys off. They are going to do their toy ride Dec. 11 and they will bring the toys from that to help us.”
Ramsey said school system employees have called to see how they can help put packages together. He added that the Rescue Squad and the motorcycle groups have been very helpful to them, as well as other people in the community who want to volunteer. One person even drove all the way from Murfreesboro with a pickup truck full of toys.
Since this is the first year the Central Baptist Association is doing the toy drive, it has been a challenge to smooth out all the bumps in the road.
“The first thing we learned real quick was we didn’t know how all of this would end up and where we would be able to put all the boxes of toys together and store them until delivery day,” said Ramsey. “So we didn’t set the day and the place of the toy distribution in the beginning and we have learned that should be done first. Next year that will be done first and then we will have sign-ups.”
The pickup date for people receiving toys is Thursday, Dec. 16 and it will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Central Baptist Association office, 4064 Sparta Highway. Ramsey is hoping everything goes well and he is expecting a steady flow of people all day.
There is a building behind the Central Baptist Association where they are going to store the toys so the cars can just drive though and get the toys. The boxes will be in numerical order and they will be matching the receipt slip that came on the application with the box for each child, so make sure to bring the pink slip from the application with you when you pick up the toys.
“We want to make sure that the kids get their Christmas gifts. That’s what it’s all about,” said Ramsey.
For those who wish to donate, toys for the toy drive can be dropped off at the Central Baptist Association. For additional information or questions, call (931) 668-3690.
