Empty Stocking Toy Drive kicks off

Trilla Cook

– Bring toys by Dec. 11 to make this a “toy story” to remember –

The community-wide “Empty Stocking” toy drive benefiting Humble Area Assistance Ministries’ clients is off to a great start.

Once again, area businesses and residents are demonstrating their generosity through a willingness to volunteer and contribute, when it comes to making sure every child in the area has a toy this Christmas.

For the third year, Dr. Guy Sconzo of Humble ISD and Cynthia Calvert, owner of The Tribune Newspapers, are spearheading the effort to rally the community and local businesses to play a major role in making the program a success. “The Empty Stocking Toy Drive is a great way for the community to come together to help our local kids. HAAM’s clients are ‘our’ folks – more than 80 percent of HAAM clients have children in Humble ISD,” said Calvert.

“There are many fine organizations that help the needy at Christmas but HAAM takes the lion’s share of local need. They gather school supplies in the summer; they distribute food at Thanksgiving and Christmas; and every year they worry if there will be enough to go around. Every year, they are looking into the eyes of those who just want their kids to have a toy on Christmas morning. I hope everyone in the community sends even a bit of money to the Empty Stocking Toy Drive. On Christmas morning, you will enjoy your own family so much more, when you know that somewhere out there, a young child has joy that day,” she said.

Since most of the families in need are already in the social services network at HAAM, this is a most focused, effective and efficient way to get toys to kids.

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