Toy shop ‘a blessing’ to struggling parents

Shelby Whitehead looked around the tiny toy store, her eyes falling on all the art sets, board games, Barbies and other toys she could have chosen to put under the tree for her 10-year-old daughter to open on Christmas.

“There’s no time limit here,” volunteer John Faunce reassured her. “Just shop ‘til you drop.”

This week, about 860 Suffolk families will be able to choose toys and other gifts for their children to open on Christmas at the Salvation Army’s toy store on Holland Road. The families were pre-approved through the Salvation Army and the Department of Social Services.

“This is a blessing,” said Brenda Miller, who received toys for her three children on Wednesday. “Right now I’m the only one working. My husband got laid off in September, and I don’t make that much.”

Families set up appointments to come in to the store this week. They lined up outside of the store, came in a few at a time and showed their identification. They then walked through the maze of toys, arranged by age- and gender-appropriateness, with a volunteer who carried a black trash bag.

The parents chose three items per child and put them into the trash bags so the children couldn’t accidentally see what they got when the parent arrived home.

The items ranged from blankets and onesies for babies to skateboards and perfume sets for older children.

For children in between, there are dolls, Mr. Potato Head, footballs, stuffed animals, remote-control cars and more.

The toys were purchased with money from the Suffolk News-Herald Cheer Fund, the Virginian-Pilot Joy Fund and the Salvation Army. Individual donations, like those dropped off at local stores, are filled in as the toys purchased in bulk begin to run out.

“Skateboards are very popular,” said Janet Cowan, a Salvation Army employee.

Dee Sawyer, another Salvation Army worker, said the doll babies and toys that light up have been popular for the younger children.

But mostly, Cowan said, all the parents want the same thing — a happy Christmas for their children.

“When they leave here, they’re always smiling,” she said. “That’s the main thing.”

The Cheer Fund still is collecting money to help provide a toy for every child in Suffolk. To donate to the Cheer Fund, send checks made payable to Cheer Fund to P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439 or bring them to the office at 130 S. Saratoga St.