The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a non-profit organization that has donated toys to millions of kids in the last 66 years it has been around.  It all started in the year 1947 when Major bob Hendricks’ wife, Diane Hendricks hand-sewed a Raggedy Ann doll and wanted her husband to donate it to an organization that would give it to a needy child for Christmas.  After searching all over Los Angeles, Hendricks realized that no such organization existed, and so the idea for the Marine-sponsored Toys for Tots foundation was born.

Being a Director of Public Relations for Warner Brother Studios, Hendricks was able to start a large campaign for his idea with the help of some well-known celebrities, then successfully collected 7,000 toys for the children of Los Angeles.  Toys were being hand delivered by Hendricks and fellow officers until midnight on Christmas Eve.  Everything went so well that what started out as a simple idea turned into a nationwide campaign the following year.

In 1952 a memo was sent to all Marine reserve units stating, “You are expected to conduct a local drive for Toys for Tots in your community, if it is at all possible.  This is your opportunity to acquaint the general public with the Marine Corps Reserve and even more so, with your particular unit.  It is a worthwhile campaign which will net you an umlimited amount of community goodwill.”  The next year, delivering toys to underprivileged children helped communities become more familiar with the Marine Corps and the mission for Toys for Tots.  Toys for Tots soon went to an international level a few years later when delivering toys to tsunami survivors in Nagoya, Japan, was approved by the Commandment of the Marine Corps.

By the year 1996, Toys for Tots covered all of the United States.  What started as a small idea sparked by a handmade doll with no home to go to quickly turned into an extremely successful organization helping millions of less fortunate kids enjoy Christmas a little bit more.

We should all make it our mission to donate a toy or our time to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation so that every family can enjoy Christmas.  There are plenty of families out there who would appreciate it greatly.