Toys for Tots ‘in dire need’ of help this Christmas

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — There may be no Toys for Tots in the Memphis area this holiday season.

Thousands of families across the Mid-South rely on Toys for Tots to bring joy under the Christmas tree, but the organization that collects the gifts is without a space to collect and distribute toys this year.

They are hoping for a little help with a warehouse space to get through the next few months and bring Christmas joy to children all across the MidSouth.

“We take care about 20- to 30,000 children. About 3- to 5,000 are families in the area. That’s how many children will be impacted,” said Ina Wiehl with Mid-South Toys for Tots.

Wiehl manages the warehouse where those toys remain as they are collected — only this year, with 75 days left until Christmas, there is no warehouse.

“We are in dire need right now,” Wiehl said.

With the rising costs and low fundraiser funds.. she says this year they are hoping for not only toy donations but warehouse space to help the three states and 23 counties they cover.

This year alone, they say they have had to refuse truckloads of donations impacting Christmas cheer for many.

“Let us use the space until the end of December,” Wiehl said. “It is crucial to us.”

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