My “Toys for Tots” special started with a bang this year, with $500 in donations in the first couple of days. The picture below was the result of spending the first $350, and this week I’ll be doing another round; I’ve discovered it’s more fun to take Jae with me on the shopping trips because she gets really excited and it’s good to have another viewpoint on what kids might like. Last week we even turned it into an outing, with dinner afterward. I’m also doing some shopping for my own Christmas presents and assisting Santa with stocking stuffers, and working out my schedule for my various commitments for the holiday season. It’s a lot of work and juggling, but it always feels rewarding. And come Boxing Day I’ll be able to put up my feet and relax without feeling guilty about it. Anyhow, the special ends one week from today, so if you’re going to take advantage of it, don’t dawdle! Remember, you only need to book the appointment and pay the toy portion of the fee by then; we can schedule the appointment for later if you like, and you can relax knowing you’ve helped needy children to have a little joy on Christmas morning.
Diary #440
December 4, 2018 by Maggie McNeill
You’ve done more for the poor today than every progressive/leftist policy in the past 100 years.
I live in Bangkok. I am retired here too. Your Toys for Tot is an inspiration to me although it is impractical to send you toys from Bangkok. But I have bought toys for my favorite “sugar baby” and her three children. The oldest (14) gets good grades and will get a real lap top and books to help her learn basics like Word and Excel so she might have a leg up on other Thai public school children and a chance to work differently than her mother and grandmother. The two youngest (6 & 7) will get age appropriate toys including a book each. I have no family any more and I am being selfish because of the joy I expect to receive by giving these gifts over a big dinner. But I hope this will also be a small step in breaking a cycle of poverty in this oligarchical society. America is sooo different from the rest of the world. TIP and similar programs are no more than America’s efforts to proselytise conservative American sex culture on the rest of the world. SAD