Santa has a bit of a helper in town this year, as Swampscott’s Toys for Local Children (TLC) is ensuring that every family has toys and warm clothing to unwrap this holiday season.
“The biggest thing is to see the pour of support that happens within Swampscott,” said coordinator and middle school teacher Ashley Mast. “Every year, it’s such a heart warming experience.”
The organization will be supporting almost 60 local families this holiday season, along with a nearby school’s students and other small initiatives, such as providing board games to My Brother’s Table. TLC was started about 40 years ago by teacher Abby Rogers. Mast, Jaclyn Wilson and Candice Calder now serve as coordinators.
“We were like, ‘We can’t let this go by the wayside,’” Mast said.
TLC runs entirely on donations of money and gifts. The group hosted a fundraiser at the Senior Center on Saturday, December 6 in partnership with the Swampscott Recreation Department, as well as an event at the Fish House with the Swampscott Yacht Club on Sunday, December 7. Guests were encouraged to bring donations to become part of the children’s gifts, and all money raised will go directly toward the holiday giving effort.
“A lot of what we do is toy donations, physical toys,” Wilson said. “We have an Amazon wishlist because we do a field trip with our students to a local preschool in the town next door that helps struggling families just provide their children with love and care and early education.”
During the visit, Wilson said the students ask the preschoolers what they hope for during the holidays. Some of the high school students even dress up as Santa and Mrs. Claus to make the moment extra magical.
TLC then works to get the exact items the children ask for: not just any remote-control car, but the Spider-Man one if that’s what they wished for. If an item isn’t found in the “toy room shop” of donations, the Amazon wishlist fills the gap.
Families in the Swampscott area also submit forms listing three toys their child would love and any warm winter clothing they need.
“Then we have 57 families that have reached out to sponsor families,” Wilson said. “We confidentially send them the wishlist without them knowing who they’re shopping for, and they show up with all the presents wrapped for us to deliver.”
More than 80 high school volunteers help with the TLC efforts.
“We have kids return year after year,” Mast said. “They’re just so proud to be a part of it.”
This year, for the first time, high school students wrapped gifts alongside members of the Senior Center as well.
“It’s the whole intergenerational experience,” Mast said. “I think in an hour, we had like 100 gifts wrapped.”
Other organizations – including the Yacht Club, Swampscott Police Department, local restaurants, the VFW and Swampscott Recreation – also help support the initiative, Mast said.
“We just appreciate when the neighborhood comes together,” Mast said.
