Toys for Tots rides into Havre in place of Community Toy Chest

This year for the holidays the Jaycees are stepping away from their Community Toy Chest, but Toys for Tots is making its way to Havre to fill the void.

The Jaycees are pausing the Community Toy Chest this year to focus on some new projects and programs for the future, Jaycees member Chelby Gooch said.

Edward Jones Financial Advisor Jennifer Tilleman said she remembers the Jaycees Community Toy Chest program and was saddened when she heard that it would not be running this year. Although, she added, that was what got her on board with working with the Toys for Tots and bringing that program into fruition.

Tilleman said the Edward Jones company has had a long relationship with the Toys for Tots program. The only reason that Toys for Tots were not in Havre previously was because of how great a job the Jaycees program was, she added.

“The Jaycees were doing a great job,” Tilleman said.

She added that she has been working with Toys for Tots coordinator Marylou Brewster of Great Falls.

Brewster said she is the Toys for Tots coordinator of eight different counties in the area around Great Falls. She added that the Toys for Tots program is still looking for other agencies that are willing to collect and screen names of kids in need of toys in Havre.

She said Tilleman has been working with her for collecting the toys but needs more volunteers to get involved.

In other counties, she said, mental health organizations often volunteer for this position. The departments compile names and information of families in need of assistance for the holidays and send their lists to her where she can then arrange toys to be delivered to the families, she said.

If no agencies volunteer for this job, families will need to fill out the Toys for Tots application and submit them themselves, Brewster said.

“I can supply the toys,” she said.

For more information or to contact Brewster people can email her at [email protected] or call 406-452-8550.

Tilleman said the toys collected here in Havre will be transported down to Great Falls where they will be sorted.

After that, the toys will be assigned to children and transported back to Havre.

Brewster said the toys would be transported by another agency and that without that agency families would normally have to drive down to pick their toys up.

Tilleman said that this year she will be driving both ways so families in need will not have to.

“If families are in need they can’t drive down to Great Falls to pick up their toys,” Tilleman said, “so I’m driving.”

Tilleman added that anyone who is interested in helping or agencies that wish to participate to contact her at 406-265-5455 or contact Brewster.

Brewster said the Indian reservations have their own specific coordinators separate from other areas. It is still under the Toys for Tots program, she said, but they function independent from the other coordinators. Families that live on the Rocky Boy or the Fort Belknap reservations that are in need of the Toys for Tots program should contact their respected coordinators.

The Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation coordinator is Thela Billy with the Tribal Housing Authority, 395-4370.

The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation coordinator is Robert Fox with the Head Start program, 673-7864.

People can donate toys at the Edward Jones office at 304 Fourth St. in Havre from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.

Tilleman asked that people who wish to donate to not wrap the gifts.

“It’s a kind gesture,” she said but the Toys for Tots program will wrap the gift after they are assigned.

Tilleman added that she would like to continue the Toys for Tots program in Havre and looks forward to the coming years.

The Jaycees are also doing a few other programs in place of the Community Toy Chest, Gooch said. She said the Jaycees are working on having a program for the local veterans, such as providing them with a dinner or getting involved with the Elks Club Veterans Free Dinner.

“It’s not like (the Jaycees) are giving up a project, they are just trying some new things out,” Gooch said.

The Jaycees will be working with Youth Dynamics this year to provide gift bags, she added.

Gooch said the Jaycees are also continuing their joint effort with the Salvation Army in some of their holiday programs.

Koats for Kids is also still taking donations as long as they are new coats, she added.

“If somebody wanted to donate a coat they can certainly do that,” she said. “We are just stepping away from the used and doing just strictly the new coats.”