Donations to be accepted from Dec. 1 through Dec. 15 at headquarters on Cattleridge Boulevard in Sarasota and agency office in Venice
Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman has announced plans for the agency’s ninth annual Holiday Toy Drive.
This annual event will benefit children and youth involved with three nonprofit organizations, a news release says: the Florida Statewide Guardian ad Litem program (GAL), Teen Court of Sarasota, and the All Star Children’s Foundation.
The toy drive has evolved into a holiday project that agency members and residents of Sarasota County “look forward to every year,” the release notes. Since the event was launched in 2017, the Sheriff’s Office has collected thousands of donations of gifts and gift cards, thanks to agency members, residents and local businesses and organizations, the release points out.
“Working with the GAL program for the past eight years” and partnering with Teen Court of Sarasota and All Star Children’s Foundation for the past three, Sheriff’s Office members have seen children in Sarasota, Manatee, and Desoto counties benefitting from the holiday initiative, the release continues.
“The generosity we see through this toy drive truly reflects the spirit of caring and connection that makes our county special.” said Sheriff Hoffman in the release. “Providing for multiple organizations and helping bring joy to children in our community is what the holiday season is all about! Each year we are happily surprised that the response gets bigger and bigger.”
In Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties, more than 1,000 children have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect, the release points out. As a result, they are part of the GAL program, the release says.
Teen Court’s mission, the release notes, is to create second chances for at-risk youth by helping them learn how to “make positive choices,” thanks to their experiencing “meaningful consequences, peer mentorship, and civic engagement.
“Finally, All Star Children’s Foundation exists to provide children in foster care with a secure environment where they feel valued, safe, and empowered,” the release points out.
The toy drive will provide for children ranging from newborns to those 18 years of age, the release explains. The Sheriff’s Office asks that the public donate only new, unwrapped toys and gift cards. “We are unable to accept clothing or stuffed animals,” the release says.
The collection period will begin on Monday, Dec. 1, and continue through Monday, Dec. 15, the release points out. All donations may be delivered to one of two locations: the agency headquarters, which stands at 6010 Cattleridge Blvd. in Sarasota, with items accepted seven days a week between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; or the South County Office, which is located at 4531 Annex Road in Venice, which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“Additionally, toys and gift cards can be ordered and delivered from our Amazon Wishlist,” the release notes. “Please follow our social media platforms for more details.”
The Sheriff’s Office has offered “special thanks to the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Public Safety Department,” which has continued “the annual tradition of generously donating our holiday tree to serve as the toy drive’s collection site.”
For more information, contact the Community Affairs Section at 941-861-4124 or Info@sarasotasheriff.org.