Photo By Christy Trabun | Naval Support Activity (NSA) Mechanicsburg personnel delivered the final collection...... read more read more
NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — If the North Pole had a southern outpost, it might resemble the bustling Toys for Tots collection point for Cumberland, Perry, and northern York counties at the Lewis B. Puller Jr. Marine Corps League Detachment 524 building in Carlisle, Pa.
On Thursday, Naval Support Activity (NSA) Mechanicsburg personnel delivered the final collection boxes from the months-long Toys for Tots drive. NSA Mechanicsburg Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) coordinated the effort, with tenant commands collecting toys beginning in October. Contributions included monetary donations from one organization, and the toy drive ultimately required two delivery trips—one in late November and another this week.
The Toys for Tots program, led by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve since 1947, has provided holiday joy to economically disadvantaged children for generations. During October through December, the campaign collects new, unwrapped toys and distributes them as Christmas gifts to children in need. In communities without a Marine Corps Reserve Center, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation partners with local Marine Corps League Detachments to ensure the program reaches as many children as possible.
This mission inspired retired Master Gunnery Sgt. George Snell to get involved. As a member of Detachment 524, Snell coordinated with NSA Mechanicsburg MWR to organize collection boxes on base. “It’s helpful for the kids, and it’s the right thing to do,” Snell said. He also emphasized his appreciation for how the donations stay local. “The donations help kids right here, in the community where I live.”
At the Detachment 524 collection point, volunteers and staff worked tirelessly to receive and sort toys, fulfill requests, and prepare bags for families across the region.
Lynn Elwell, has been involved with Toys for Tots for 48 years - beginning when her husband was a Marine. Despite her husband’s passing, Elwell and her daughter have kept the tradition alive. “It’s fun! You meet all kinds of people,” she said, speaking while diligently consolidating donations.
Stefanie Creese, an IT Systems Analyst with the Naval Supply Corps Business Systems Center—a tenant command at NSA Mechanicsburg—played a key role in her organization’s contributions. “Prior to participating in the Toys for Tots cause, I definitely did not realize how many local families were in need during the holiday season,” Creese said. “It certainly creates more awareness, and it is wonderful to know that everyone’s contributions will affect the lives of many people in our area. The joy a toy could bring to a child in need is something they will always remember.”
Detachment 524 expects to match last year’s numbers, which included the distribution of over 56,000 toys to more than 4,600 children from 1,000 families in Cumberland, Perry, and northern York counties. Thanks to the generosity of NSA Mechanicsburg personnel, the Toys for Tots mission of inspiring hope and spreading holiday joy will continue to brighten the season for local children in need.
| Date Taken: | 12.12.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2024 08:15 |
| Story ID: | 487553 |
| Location: | MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Naval Support Activity Mechanicsburg
