Toys for Tots to expand outreach in Snohomish County

Published 7:36 pm Wednesday, July 15, 2015

MARYSVILLE — Toys for Tots plans to focus more on Marysville, Tulalip and Smokey Point this year than it has in the past.

The national nonprofit’s local branch has a new administrative office in Marysville, more storage space in Everett and several summer events in the works, local coordinating officer Mary Butler said. The Toys for Tots Foundation is a charitable arm for the U.S. Marine Corps and Marine Reserve.

The organization has been in Snohomish County for about nine years and always aimed to help kids from Shoreline to Smokey Point, but didn’t have much of a presence north of Everett because there was no nearby office, storage or distribution space. Last year, the food bank and school district in Marysville asked if Toys for Tots could do more in their community, Butler said.

In February, the group opened a new administrative office in Marysville. On June 30, Butler signed an agreement with Foundation Church at 2730 Oakes Ave. in Everett, formerly the Mars Hill Church, to store donated toys and school supplies. That gives volunteers a warehouse and distribution center in the north half of their coverage area.

“I hear constantly about the increase in the population here that isn’t being served, and we don’t want to let that happen on our watch,” Butler said.

The Rev. Ryan Williams with Foundation Church is excited to partner with Toys for Tots. The building that houses his congregation has a 2,000-square-foot basement that’s only good for storage, and it makes sense to donate the space to something that helps the community, he said.

“When we’re looking for charities to partner with, we look specifically for charities that bless Everett and other cities in Snohomish County,” Williams said. “(Toys for Tots) really blesses a lot of families and children who need this service to have a good holiday.”

The program is known for gathering donated toys and giving them to families around the holiday season so children can have gifts even if their parents can’t afford to go shopping for them.

Along with the holiday drives, Toys for Tots also has branched out into providing school supplies for low-income students, Butler said.

She’s planning a “Rolling Back to School” event Aug. 2 in Marysville. Volunteers will give backpacks and school supplies to about 300 kids, who also get free entry to the Marysville Skate Center at 7313 44th Ave. NE from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Coordinators are looking for people who can donate backpacks or at least $4.50 to sponsor a student’s skate session. Butler can be reached at 425-309-0047.

Volunteers also stood outside the Tulalip Walmart Saturday and Sunday collecting donations, and they might have other collection events this summer.

“It’s to give back to this community but also to let them know we’re here,” Butler said.

In partnership with the food bank, Toys for Tots also plans to have a bin at the skate deck Aug. 2 for nonperishable food donations.

“This is the very first year we’ve done this in Marysville,” Butler said. “We didn’t just want to come here and sit. We want to make sure we’re tapping into this community any way we can.”

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.