How a Facebook post saved Toys for Tots at Quantico

A portion of an email from Quantico Marine Corps Base spokesman Major Andrew Borman: 

My office was contacted by the lead coordinator/program manager for the regional Toys for Tots warehouse serving the National Capital Region, Wilma Vaughn. She was in desperate need for volunteer support due to the warehouse being overloaded with toys which needed to be organized for distribution to the children around the area. Without the required organization, the toys would not be ready to be shipped out in time for Christmas.

In an effort to help, Marine Corps Base Quantico posted a ‘Call to the Community’ and the community answered!

Please see attached image for Facebook Analytics. Our average post on a good day is about 7K with an audience of approximately 70K. This post has exceeded 101K which has resulted in Wilma not being able to keep up with emails of support and she has experienced a flood of volunteer support from the local community.

On Friday, the warehouse at Quantico was filled with 50 volunteers who showed up after reading the Facebook post. That’s about 30 more volunteers than Toys for Tots normally has on hand. 

Fewer toys were donated to the charity this year, so some children, especially girls between the ages of 11 and 14 years old, went without a toy.

A decline in toy donations also meant that children that normally receive two toys from the program only got one this year. Some organizations that distribute toys from Toys for Tots were also left empty-handed.

“People just waited until the last minute to donate toys this year,” Vaughn told Potomac Local. 

Those last-minute donations led to Vaughn and her volunteers being overwhelmed at the last minute. The Toys for Tots donation drive ends Monday, Dec. 18, 2017. 

Vaughn said it was “phenomenal” to see such an outpouring of support from the community at the last minute. 

“The camaraderie between the community and the Marine Corps is what makes this program a success,” she added.