MAHOPAC, N.Y.—Toys for Tots is a nonprofit by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve that aims to bring the joy of Christmas to underserved youth of all ages through gifts. Mahopac News connected with Marine Corps Col. James Maxwell Ret., the county coordinator for Putnam County’s Toys for Tots, to understand how members of this community can help spread cheer this holiday season. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Where do you live and in what other ways are you connected to our community?
I’m originally from Queens and grew up in Mahopac. After college and service in the Marine Corps, I returned to Mahopac to live. Following retirement, I turned all the part-time community service positions I held into my full-time job.
How did you get involved in Toys for Tots?
I participated in Toys For Tots in many different campaigns, since I transferred to the Marine Corps Reserve in 1989. I always enjoyed serving this program, which brings exceptional joy to underprivileged children of all ages, during the holiday season.
When I was asked to become the county’s campaign coordinator, the decision was easy. Partnering with [Mahopac Board of Education president and USMC veteran] Sgt. Jon Schneider, we decided to take this program to the next level and ensure that every underprivileged child in Putnam County would experience the joy of gifts for the holidays.
What are the best toys for people to donate? What else should donors be aware of?
The best toys to donate are whatever you believe will delight a child of any age or gender. If a toy attracts your own inner child, then it is the right toy for Toys for Tots!
It should be new and unwrapped. The most useful toys are the ones that a child can grow with, such as a bicycle. Retailers such as Ocean State Job Lot offer gift cards for the equivalent value of a bicycle for buying it there. Many people don’t have time to get to a toy store and would like to help in other ways.
This year, we added a scan code to all of our signs and collection boxes, which links to our Putnam County Campaign and allows donations to be made directly to our account.
We use the money to fill toy orders directly from wholesalers to the large community programs, such as Putnam County Social Services. This allows us to maintain a very lean organization of volunteers with very minimal overhead costs associated with warehousing and distribution. The national Toys For Tots Foundation operates with a small paid staff, and 97 percent of all proceeds belong to the local campaigns.
Who, exactly, receives the Toys for Tots donations in Putnam County?
We maintain a spreadsheet of approved social services and charities that have been vetted as participants in our campaign. We encourage individuals to register with a local organization that participates in our program. If an individual calls us, we will refer them to an approved program for vetting.
Anyone who calls is queried on the town they live in or where the person they are referring lives, and they are routed to the appropriate organization or organizations in their town. The organizations comply with the Privacy Act and have the personnel to determine individual eligibility.
Our primary client is Putnam County Social Services. [We also work with] private and congregational service groups from all faiths and cultural backgrounds.
What has been the most rewarding part of this effort?
I consider myself blessed with good health and good fortune, and I associate that with growing up in a great community. This campaign is just part of my mission to pay my community back for my own blessings.
In 2023, Toys for Tots distributed 5,224 toys to 2,346 children. All toy donations for 2024 must be made by Dec. 15. To find a donation center near you, go to putnam-ny.toysfortots.org.
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