By Allison Mayoral | SDUN Reporter

The unwrapping of a gift can be a meticulous procedure. Unfold every taped corner and make sure not to crease the paper? Or go the route of the excited child on Christmas morning, with a feverish rip and tear?

Either way, everyone loves to receive a nice wrapped gift, especially children. Toys for Tots is one way to give that joy of unwrapping the mystery to an underprivileged youth in San Diego.

Since 1947, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation has been giving underprivileged families the opportunity to give gifts to their children during the holidays. Second Lt. Justin West, spokesperson for the San Diego chapter of the nonprofit organization, said, “It is pretty important now to donate during the recession. The need is out there.” Last year the San Diego toy drive was able to give a toy to over 107,000 children. “Toys donated from the community stay in the community,” West said.

The toy season begins in late October, West said, and will wrap up on Dec. 20 so toys can be distributed this season. The Foundation seeks new, unwrapped toys valued between 10 and 20 dollars.

Toys are distributed to homeless shelters, local recreation centers and organizations. Toys that are donated after the cutoff date of Dec. 20 will be kept for next year’s drive. West said once toys are collected they are divided up by age and gender appropriateness for the child receiving the toy. The organizations distributing the toys will then know how many nine-year-old boys can receive toys versus three-year-old girls.

Any local business can sign up to become a designated toy drop-off location. A complete list of drop-off locations can be found at the local Toys for Tots website, san-diego-ca.toysfortots.org.

To receive a toy, families must sign up and meet certain eligibility requirements. Applications from San Diego Parks and Recreation state that proof of I.D., income of the parents, residence, and a social security card for each child are needed to register. Local recreation centers involved with Toys for Tots will host their own events to pass out toys.

The City Heights Community Recreation Center is one of the local sites distributing toys from Toys for Tots. “We have had close to 350 families signed up,” said Georgina Mena, a Recreation Center employee. Their give away days for registered families are Dec. 16 and 17.
The Adams Recreation Center also benefits from the program. Kenya Jones, a Recreation Center employee, said that the toys would be given out at a breakfast with Santa on Dec. 17, held at the Recreation Center. “There are a lot of low income some kids that don’t get presents at all,” Jones said of why people should donate to the cause, “Everyone gets a gift.”