Earlier this week, Oakville-based community volunteer program Front Line Outreach held their 16th annual Christmas toy distribution.
Thanks to their efforts and planning, they've helped to arrange and distribute toys for almost 450 kids in Oakville, who will wake up to new toys on Christmas morning next week.
These hundreds of children will be unwrapping toys on Christmas thanks to the generous donations from local Oakvilleans, local businesses, and dozens of volunteers. And yes - the gift wraps, bows and tags were also donated too.
The annual toy distribution event happened this week at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 114, with the legion donating the space so parents could come and choose the perfect toy for each of their children.
Not only does that mean the kids will get presents for Christmas this year, but it means parents had the opportunity to specifically choose gifts tailored and personalised for their own families.
Front Line Outreach has been organizing their Christmas toy drive since 2009, partnering with volunteers from the Oakville Fire Department. (If you attended the Fire Department's special toy drive-through event at Coronation park last weekend, it's likely your donations ended up here!)
Read more here: Coronation Park lights up for 2024 light show and toy drive
Front Line Outreach describes their mission as "reaching into the social housing communities of Oakville and beyond to help people in low income break free from poverty."
Ron and Joyce Shantz, CEOs of Front Line Outreach, were on site Monday to assist volunteers who set up, cleaned, and aided "shoppers" who came to choose toys for the families. Seeing the tables of toys, it's an intricate and detailed operation to make sure every child gets exactly the right gift for Christmas.
"The reason we do this is easy," says Ron. "It's because people don’t have toys for children. It’s really hard for parents to ask for help. When we do this, the process is really dignifies this for the local families."
"It’s really important for parents to come through and pick a toy that they know their child would like, because the joy is in the giving. To see their kids eyes light up on Christmas morning does the heart and soul good for the parents."
Ron and Joyce both affirm the real work is done by their small army of 36 dedicated volunteers, ranging from teenagers to seniors, who worked for twelve hours straight to run the program.
"I have a heart full of gratitude that Oakville has donated these toys," says Joyce. "When you see an an abundance of volunteers with right heart serving their neighbours, we feel humbled and grateful to be a part of it."
They told us the local demand for toys has grown: Oakville News first visited the Front Line Outreach toy distribution in 2020, and since then, the number of families receiving toys has gone from 100 then to at least 180 this year.
"There is a significant increase in the need of the communities like we’ve never seen before," Ron told Oakville News. "The demand is up for toys this year by 20% - that's because the economic conditions and cost of food, clothing and living has all gone up. Regrettably, toys are a lower priority when looking at buying basic necessities first."
"We’re seeing people that may not qualify for other Christmas programs in Oakville. We're trying to help local families who've fallen through the cracks.”
Joyce says that the best part is easy: "I love that as soon as parents come through the door I’m enveloped with warmth and the Christmas spirit."
"I spoke to one Mum with five kids," Joyce continues, "and she said this shopping was her whole Christmas prep this year. She wanted board games specifically, because they wanted to find gifts that could be shared with and enjoyed as the family."
Outside of the Christmas season, the group also runs a food distribution for five communities on weekly basis. They also run a summertime day camp program called "Camp Dakota" for hundreds of kids across all Halton communities - and three more locations in Toronto.
Thanks to everyone who donated toys this year and a special thank you goes to all the volunteers who worked hard this month to make this possible.
More can be learned about Front Line Outreach on their website and also on Facebook.