Toys for Tots opens new warehouse, looks for volunteers for holiday season

ORLANDO, Fla. — It is the most wonderful time of the year, but it is also when many families struggle to make ends meet.

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Christmas is coming, and 9 Family Connection is teaming up with the Marine Corps and Toys for Tots this year.

As we get closer to the holiday season, we took a closer look at what is being done to answer the call for help.

Sergeant Gustave Guerrero was behind the scenes during last year’s donation drive. But this year, he’s in charge.

Read: Toys for Tots 2023 Information

“Last year, I got a lot of joy,” he said. “It’s just something personal for me to see families in need collecting toys.”

Toys for Tots wants a jump start on the donation drive to fill the new warehouse, so the organization is getting the word out early.

Toys for Tots is a Marine Corps Reserve Program that provides new toys to children in need during the holiday season.

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The program has been operating for over 70 years and has distributed over 500 million toys to over 250 million children.

Last year in Central Florida, the program gave four to five gifts per child.

They hope to match or surpass that mark.

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The warehouse is located on the southwest corner of Orange Blossom Trail and Sand Lake, across from the Florida Mall.

It won’t be ready to accept new, unwrapped toys until Nov. 15, but Guerrero is already accepting family signups. He also needs volunteers to help collect and distribute toys and set up the warehouse.

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