This year, as part of its Random Acts of Goodness, two Utah-based companies rallied employees and customers to donate boxes and boxes of toys, games and more to give to kids in need through Community Action Services and Food Bank.
“It takes everyone working together to reduce poverty and create a thriving community,” said Karen McCandless, executive director of Community Action Services and Food Bank. “I am grateful RAGS is a partner in our efforts. RAGS’s donations have helped by supporting families actively moving out of poverty in the Circles Initiative and client families who need a bit of help this holiday season.”
The toy collection effort is part of a 12 days of Christmas project by RAGS for the community. Here’s how they helped Community Action Services and Food Bank and where donations are going:
Toy Drive
On Nov. 28, RAGS, the Lehi company that makes popular rompers for kids, put out a call to customers and followers on social media. It asked followers to bring new and slightly used toys for kids up to age 12 to Thanksgiving Point on Dec. 1, to be donated to Community Action Services and Food Bank. Partnering with Fawn Design, the Utah company that makes stylish diaper bag backpacks, it threw in some incentives, too. Fifty random people in line with toys received a free Fawn Design, and 100 random people got a free RAG. And Brick Canvas at Thanksgiving Point, which hosted the holiday toy drive, gave out raffle prizes. And because RAGS and Fawn Design have fans around the world, they asked out-of-staters to send toys to the RAGS office by Dec. 5. The result: Eight full medium-sized moving boxes. After gathering and packing all the toys, the companies presented them to Community Action Services and Food Bank at a Circles meeting in American Fork.
Recipients
Many of the recipients of the toys and games are part of Community Action and Food Bank’s Circles program, which is a national project aimed at helping families pull themselves out of poverty. The program, which relies on volunteers from the community, helps families eliminate debt, go back to school and overcome other challenges of poverty. Participants’ goal is to get to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Community Action has three Circles locations in Utah County, and the toy donations will go to children from each of the three sites as well as other children whom the agency helps.
The companies presented the donation at an American Fork Circles meeting and donated dinner from Village Baker. Utah Valley University got involved too and did family portraits as Christmas presents.
With the RAGS- and Fawn Design-led donations this month, many more Utah County children will have a happier Christmas.