From left, Roxanne LaBelle, of White River Junction, and Hypertherm employees Kim Smith, Ami Rice and Heather Stewart, pause for a picture while volunteering at the local Toys for Tots distribution site. Working in the background is volunteer Rob Ward.
From left, Roxanne LaBelle, of White River Junction, and Hypertherm employees Kim Smith, Ami Rice and Heather Stewart, pause for a picture while volunteering at the local Toys for Tots distribution site. Working in the background is volunteer Rob Ward. Credit: Rick Maynard photograph

White River Junction — From puzzles to stuffed animals, art supplies to toy cars, a local all-volunteer program collects and distributes thousands of Christmas gifts each year for children who might otherwise go without.

Last year, the Twin States detachment of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation helped more than 8,000 local kids, and was also named regional winner for the 2015 campaign.

But detachment coordinator Rick Maynard is quick to point out that the annual effort to help needy families relies on help from all corners of the community.

That assistance is well appreciated, Maynard said. “We could not pull this off alone.”

Volunteers include members of the detachment, which is made up of current or former Marines, and others who collect, count, organize and give out the toys. Local police departments and other organizations sponsor “stuff the cruiser” type toy drives. American Legion Post 22 in Lebanon holds an annual “Christmas in July” event to collect toys, an effort supported by the Claremont chapter of Rolling Thunder, Maynard said. The motorcycle group holds an annual ride to collect toys and donations; last year it raised more than $1,000.

A number of local businesses also pitch in, helping with setup and transportation and supplying everything from advertising to folding tables, pastries and coffee, and even a home base, heat and electricity for the season.

The majority of volunteers come from Hypertherm, which every year sends over as many people as they need, Maynard said. “We’d be lost without them.”

The local Toys for Tots campaign usually gets underway around Thanksgiving. As of Thursday, it had distributed gifts for 3,144 kids.

New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at scores of collection boxes set up seasonally across the region. Items donated locally stay in the Upper Valley.

Eligible families receive a game and puzzle, and several gifts for each child. Those in need of toys fill out a referral form to make sure they qualify. The short forms are available at most social service agencies in the Upper Valley and at the distribution center, said longtime volunteer Louis LaBelle, of White River Junction. “We try not to turn anybody away.”

LaBelle said working with families is what keeps him coming back.

“When you get one family that goes out able to smile, it makes your year,” he said. “It’s a heartwarming feeling.”

The distribution center, at 27 Farmview Drive, will be open weekdays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., through Dec. 24. People should call ahead before coming; the number is 802-296-8800.

Aimee Caruso can be reached at acaruso@vnews.com or 603-727-3210.

Twin States Toys For Tots By the Numbers

11 route drivers

185 collection boxes

72,000 gifts distributed in 2015