Santa needs your help for local Toys For Tots campaign
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LEWISTOWN -- The white boxes that say "Toys For Tots" are back, bright, unmistakable and hopeful. For the seventh straight year, Toys for Tots is rallying Mifflin County around one simple promise: "That every child, no matter their circumstances, should wake up to a gift on Christmas morning."
The local campaign, coordinated by the Marine Corps Reserve and led by the Rev. John Harwood of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Amy Kerstetter of Kish Bank, is underway once again. The effort has become a fixture of the holiday season, a reminder that generosity still fuels this community even when times are tight. In 2025, Toys for Tots helped about 400 families and 900 children in the county, providing everything from bicycles and basketballs to Lego sets, books and warm winter clothes.
This year, Harwood expects the need to grow. Inflation, higher utility bills and food costs have strained many local households.
“I won’t even talk about the problem with SNAP benefits or inflation,” Harwood said. “But these are elements that lead me to think that many more families will need assistance this year.”
The program serves children from birth to age 18 in families that meet income requirements, including those being raised by grandparents or foster parents. The distribution of gifts will take place on Dec. 17 at the Lewistown Recreation building from noon to 3 p.m.
Those wishing to receive gifts must register at https://www.facebook.com/stmarks.lewistown before Dec. 10.
Toys for Tots began in 1947 when Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks, inspired by his wife Diane, collected 5,000 toys for children in Los Angeles. A year later, the U.S. Marine Corps adopted the idea nationwide. Walt Disney designed the train logo that still appears on donation boxes today. Since then, the program has distributed nearly 732 million toys to 325 million children across the country, including 24 million toys to over 11 million children in 2025.
For Harwood and Kerstetter, the national numbers are impressive, but the local stories are what matter. “The generosity of people in this community and our many wonderful volunteers make this possible,” Harwood said. “The toys collected here will be distributed here.”
The local campaign depends heavily on both community partners and individual donors. The campaign has sent hundreds of letters to area businesses urging them to host donation boxes, organize toy drives or contribute financially.
“In these challenging economic times, many families in Mifflin County are facing difficult choices between basic necessities and holiday gifts,” Harwood wrote in one of those letters. “Rising costs for housing, groceries, and healthcare have stretched household budgets to the breaking point, leaving many parents and grandparents heartbroken that they cannot provide the Christmas magic their children deserve.”
That plea isn’t just about gifts, it’s about restoring a sense of belonging. “Your participation doesn’t just provide toys,” Harwood wrote. “It sends a powerful message to struggling families that their community cares about them. It shows children that they haven’t been forgotten.”
The generosity does not stop with toys. Some residents who cannot shop for gifts choose to write checks instead. Harwood uses those funds to buy toys on behalf of the donors.
“We received a large check last year from a family in Harrisburg,” he said. “Every bit helps."
This year, the IRS is helping indirectly through Section 70424 of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which allows tax payers to claim an additional deduction over the standard deduction. This amount is $1,000 for single filers or $2,000 for joint filers. The contribution must be a cash contribution which includes checks or credit cards. To access the Marine Toys For Tots Foundation, a QR code is accessible on the Toys For Tots poster which is featured here and is attached to the white boxes.
While much of the focus is on toys, the deeper purpose of Toys for Tots has always been about hope. It began as an act of kindness, one Marine family’s small gesture that sparked a national movement. Seventy-eight years later, that same spirit endures in places like Lewistown, where people still believe in the simple power of giving.
Toys For Tots volunteers are bracing for another busy December. They expect long days sorting donations, organizing distribution, and making sure every box reaches the right family. Across Mifflin County, approximately 50 collection boxes have been placed in churches, businesses and schools.
Volunteers are welcome and encouraged to help during the week of Dec. 14 to 18, when hundreds of toys will be arranged and packed for delivery.
“If people would like to volunteer, please reach out to me,” Harwood said. “We always need extra hands. It’s not too late for a business or church to request a collection box. Just contact me or Ms. Kerstetter and we’ll make sure they’re included."
Contact Harwood at jtharwood@comcast.net or (814) 571-0687.
Contact Kerstetter at Amy.Kerstetter@kishbank.com or (570) 765-4051.
Financial donations can also be arranged through either contact.
"Every toy tells a story of compassion," Harwood said. "A basketball that reminds a child someone cares, a book that sparks imagination, a stuffed animal that becomes a treasured companion. Together, we can ensure that every child in Mifflin County experiences the wonder and joy of Christmas morning.”
After all, the holidays in Mifflin County aren’t defined by the size of the tree or the number of presents under it, but by the quiet kindness that fills those white boxes year after year.