SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — The toys that line the shelves of a sprawling Sarasota warehouse represent something special. Each toy is a future smile.
The stuffed animals, dolls, books, and games have all been donated to Marine Toys for Tots Sarasota, so volunteers like Tracey DiMillo can guarantee that every Sarasota County child has a gift to open on Christmas.
“It just brings me back to childhood and how excited you are about that day,” she said.
And it’s not just Christmas. The nonprofit helps less fortunate kids year-round. It donates toys after hurricanes and house fires and at hospitals and foster homes.
“Our whole program is really successful based on volunteerism and generous donations from our community,” said Tammy Brown, another volunteer.
But now, the nonprofit is pleading for a different kind of donation because it’s about to lose the warehouse where it operates and stores the toys — the future smiles.
“We’ve been told that we will be losing this space,” said Brown. “We may remain — and hopefully functional — through this Christmas season, but definitely, not beyond.”
Their home is in jeopardy because of where it’s located. Their warehouse is inside the Sarasota Square Mall, a dying mall that could soon be torn down.
A developer, Torburn Partners, is proposing a mixed-use development that would transform the many shuttered storefronts into 1,200 apartments, along with new stores and restaurants.
According to the volunteers, Toys for Tots Sarasota isn’t included in the developer’s plan, which has created a desperate situation for the Sarasota County nonprofit.
“Very desperate,” said DiMillo. “We really do need a place that can function year-round for us so that we can continue to help our community.”
The nonprofit is asking the community to help them find a new home. It needs a space that’s roughly 10,000 square feet within Sarasota County, and Toys for Tots Sarasota needs it to be donated.
The nonprofit’s meager budget would not allow it to pay rent.
“Even the cost of electricity would almost match our budget,” said Brown.
Donations are the reason Toys for Tots Sarasota exists in the first place, so volunteers are hopeful someone out there can help.
But the time to find a new home is running out, putting the future smiles in jeopardy.
Without a warehouse, the nonprofit would shift its year-round operations to part-time. The toys would be stored in shipping containers for most of the year.
“We wouldn’t be able to provide what we currently have been doing for many years, and we wouldn’t be able to be there for the local nonprofits year-round,” said Brown.
If you or someone you know might be able to help the nonprofit secure a new home, you can contact Marine Toys for Tots Sarasota at sarasota.fl@toysfortots.org or 941-800-3947.
