The annual Toys for Joy drive by Kent firefighters is changing up how to donate this year due to COVID-19.
Rather than people dropping toys off at local fire station, firefighters are asking for monetary donations and offering two drop off events for new, unwrapped toys.
“Please consider donating to support our greater community with a monetary donation to assist those families in need this holiday season,” according to a Dec. 4 email by Puget Sound Fire. “The focus is to support families with children ages infant to 12 years old. The members of the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority will match the first $10,000 collected. The goal is to collect a minimum of $20,000 in order to make a large purchase of new toys for these families.”
Donations can be made at the FireFighters Foundation Local 1747 website. You can follow the community challenge on the Kent Firefighter Local 1747 Facebook page.
Instead of the traditional community wrapping party, toys will be delivered unwrapped and distributed over several days to allow the Kent Food Bank to manage the process within current restrictions.
For those that would like to donate in person or drop off a new unwrapped toy, you can do so at one of two drop off events:
• Saturday, Dec. 5: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Station 75 (15635 SE 272 St.)
• Saturday, Dec. 12: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Station 74 (24611 116th Ave. SE)
Jerry Woods Holiday Engine Food Drive
Changes also have been made to the annual Jerry Woods Holiday Engine Food Drive.
For the safety of volunteers and the community, it will be a drive-thru event at specific locations to drop off non-perishable food or monetary donations. There will be three decorated Holiday Engines with Santa on Friday and Saturday evenings in Maple Valley, Covington and Kent to benefit the three local food banks in the three cities.
Locations will be open from 6 to 8:30 p.m., on the first three Fridays and Saturdays of December. Kent has specific sites each date.
• Covington Engine
Real Life Church (26201 180th Ave SE, Covington)
• Kent Engine
Dec. 4: Faith Church (25636 140th Ave SE, Kent)
Dec. 5: Reber Ranch (28606 132nd Ave SE, Kent)
Dec. 11: First Christian Church of Kent (11717 SE 240th St.)
Dec. 12: Kent Covenant Church (12010 SE 240th St.)
Dec. 18: New Life Church-Kent Campus (24044 104th Ave SE)
Dec. 19: River of Life (10615 SE 216th St.)
• Maple Valley Engine
Tahoma High School – West Student Parking lot.
Find more information about the holiday engine on Facebook or visit holidayengine.org.
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