IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — The generosity has been so overwhelming at Holiday Hearts of Ionia County that organizers now need help from the community to distribute gifts to hundreds of families.
The nonprofit was created this year after Alyssa Scheffler realized a need in her community wasn't being met.
"I was looking for donation sites within Ionia County and that's when I found out that there was no coordinator for the Toys for Tots campaign in Ionia County," Scheffler said.
So Scheffler took action, starting Holiday Hearts to bring toys to as many families as possible.
"It just grew and grew and grew," she said.
The organization has collected over 5,000 donated items for children in the Ionia community. Donor Nick Arends emphasized the importance of giving back to those in need.
"Always remember the less fortunate, and if you're able to give back to them, I think it's very important to do so, because even though it might not mean the world to you, it will mean the world to somebody out there," Arends said.
With more than 800 children now expected to receive gifts next week, Holiday Hearts could use some extra hands for distribution.
"There's a solid group of about 10 to 15 gals that are really committed into making this happen, but 15 of us can't distribute out to 600 families," Scheffler said.
With distribution starting on Sunday and running through Tuesday, any help would make a difference.
"If they can help a couple hours for a shift, or an all day event, if they've got one day that they want to do, we'll take anything," Scheffler said.
Volunteers can sign up here to help with the distribution effort.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - YouTube
