ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This year, a St. Petersburg nonprofit celebrates 102 years of collecting toys for families in need at Christmas. They said they would have never made it this far if not for their workshop of dedicated volunteers.
From Barbies to cars and everything in between, elves like Ellen Streich are working year-round at the Christmas Toy Shop to make sure children in need receive the Christmas presents they deserve.
Streich is one of 40 volunteers at the Christmas Toy Shop responsible for making sure close to 1,000 children across Pinellas County receive presents under the tree.
“The toy shop exists entirely on donations, whether it’s donations of time, like the volunteers, whether it’s money, donations of toys both used and new,” said Streich.
Streich said all the volunteers have one thing in common: they’re all children at heart, one of the reasons why they are so good at making used toys look brand new.
“So the process is, it comes in, I look, see what it's supposed to have. I see if we can find all the pieces. If we can, then I clean it, put it together, pack it up, and then they are good to go,” said Streich.
“Our motto is, ‘if we would not give it to our own grandchildren, we would not give it to another child,’” said Karen Gleich, a fellow volunteer.
There are a dozen different departments where the volunteers can show off their talents.
“We all have our own areas of expertise. Mine is not painting; they won’t even let me spray paint,” said Streich.
Streich is actually in charge of the Bonus Department. Every child receives one bag of used toys and one bag of new toys, and each family receives a bonus toy.
“Bonus means something bigger, something nicer, something a little more expensive. It's like the special gift that a child would get,” she said.
This means the entire workshop is at Streich's fingertips as she uses her creativity and resources to complete the gift. She said one of the biggest challenges is not having too much fun on the job.
“Sometimes we do play with the toys. It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, how cute is this? I want this. We didn’t have these kinds of toys when we were little,’” said Streich.
Streich said the best part is working alongside so many other dedicated people.
“Our elves work tirelessly all year long so we can put smiles on the children’s faces on Christmas morning, that Santa has not forgotten them,” said Gleich.
Streich hopes others see and hear her story and decide to also volunteer.
“Because it will fill your spirit, you’ll be making an amazing contribution and you’ll be part of this great family,” said Streich.
For more information on the Christmas Toy Shop, email toyshopelf@yahoo.com.
