About 150 Forest Park families will be receiving gifts from the mayor’s annual community toy drive Dec. 11.
At Bobby’s Eastside, Mayor Rory Hoskins gathered with local officials and residents to collect unwrapped toys and gift cards to later give out to families who signed up through the Howard Mohr Community Center.
“The purpose of the toy drive is to help our families in need,” said Karen Dylewski, the community center’s director. “The holidays are a very stressful time of year for a lot of people, especially families who don’t have the means right now to provide big meals and purchase presents for their children.”
The village also buys holiday dinners for these families, including ham, sides and desserts. Volunteers wrap and disperse the gifts before Christmas.
The number of families served every year depends on the number of gifts and food pantry items that are donated.
“We are always aiming to receive as many gifts as possible. It just makes for a brighter Christmas for struggling families,” Dylewski said. “Without this service, some children would not have a Christmas.”
Former Mayor Anthony Calderone started the toy drive tradition in 1999, when he was first elected. He continued the annual event for the next 20 years and passed it onto Hoskins when he became mayor.
“It’s a great tradition,” Hoskins said. “The holidays are a time where we get to see our loved ones or reconnect with loved ones.”
Members of the Forest Park Fire Department and Forest Park Police Department also attended the annual toy drive and were instrumental in helping gather the gifts.
In addition to the gifts and food collected for this toy drive, the fire department is also hosting its Fill the Truck food drive through Dec. 24. This food will be used to restock the village’s year-round food pantry at the community center. Donations can be dropped off at the firehouse.