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Around this time of year, Toys for Tots donation drop-off sites are everywhere. Since Dec. 4, the University Maine Residents on Campus has been running a toy drive that could more suitably be called Toys for Teens.
While on an internship with Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services, ROC secretary Jen Turcotte noticed that a lot of the toys that came in from toy drives were for younger children and that teenagers were being forgotten. So when she had to do a project for her child abuse and neglect class, she knew exactly what cause she wanted to tackle.
Turcotte said, “Over half the children in the care of the department are teenagers, and we really wanted to provide them with appropriate gifts this year.”
She pitched the idea of a teen toy drive to the ROC administrative board, who in turn presented it in the general assemblies that meet on Monday nights in each hall. They agreed to participate almost unanimously.
When the Residence Life staff got involved, it became a full-blown competition. ROC is offering an unannounced prize for the residence hall that recieves the most donations.
“It’s a different cause, a new cause, but a really worthy one,” ROC director AnneMarie Reed said.
Reed says they are looking for “little things, everyday things.” Compact disk holders, board games and toiletry sets are all relatively inexpensive options.
“When you think about clothes to wear and feeding a person, you don’t think about the extras,” Reed said.
While she will not know exactly how much has been donated until the drive is over, Reed said the response has been “overwhelming.”
All the members of the ROC executive board have donated, and RAs and RDs reported donations before they had even set up collection sites.
Donations sites are located in all of the residence halls. They will be picked up on Friday, Dec. 15. ROC will wrap and donate them to the Department of Children and Family Services.
ROC is also collecting foodstuffs for the Crossroads Ministries food bank in Old Town.
Turcotte said that she and five other students interning at the department called the teenagers in the program and asked them what they wanted. “We hope to provide each teen with at least something from their personal wish list.”
