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Marine Toys for Tots of Lowndes and Butler County seeks the community’s help providing toys for local children this Christmas.

The organization has ramped up efforts to collect toys and donations ahead of the holiday season. In Butler County, Lowndes and Butler County Coordinator Michele Sousa and other volunteers have placed toy collection boxes with the Sheriff’s Department, the police department and fire departments.

The organization works alongside other local agencies, collecting toys in the community that stay in the community, Sousa said. 

“Everything collected here, whether it’s monetary or toys, always stays here,” Sousa said. “It does not leave this community. There are roughly 3,200 Butler County children in need of help this Christmas.

“We also have around 1,100 children in need, in Lowndes County. Whether they’re in foster care or raised by extended family members, we try to help them.”

Groups like the local fire department, police departments and children’s policy councils that usually work to supply Christmas for local children are partnering with Toys for Tots so that together they can more effectively help needy families.

“City Hall in Hayneville has our applications,” Sousa said. “Whatever is left over [after known needs are met] we load up with the Sheriff’s Department. We drive these country roads and we find babies that nobody knew were there.”

She welcomes businesses and other organizations willing to help, too.

“If a school or church wants to help by collecting toys, bagging them or helping to distribute toys, we can use volunteers,” Sousa said.

Volunteers will collect toys at the Town of Hayneville’s Christmas Parade, slated for Dec. 7.

“We will have a collection box at the Hayneville Christmas Parade,” Sousa said. “We will have a dropoff location on the square near the courthouse. The town loves helping and is a really good supporter.”

Sousa said that last year’s parade in Hayneville was rained out. This year, organizers will have a dropoff box at the Town Hall so that parade goers can still donate if weather concerns delay the parade.

Hayneville’s Christmas parade is set for Dec. 7 with lineup at 9 a.m. and the parade starting at 10 a.m. There is no cost for participation or entrance, but participants and parade goers are asked to donate one new, unwrapped toy.

Information about the campaign can be found at https://lowndes-butler-al.toysfortots.org/ or by following Lowndes and Butler Toys for Tots on social media.

For more information, please email Sousa at lowndesbutlertft@yahoo.com or lowndes.and.butler.county.al@toysfortots.org or call (334) 218-4107.