Durham Rescue Mission in need of 7,000 toys to give to kids this Christmas

Rob Tart, Chief Operating Officer of the Durham Rescue Mission, said the organization has been in a pinch before, but the community often comes through. There have been years, though, where they fell short of their goal.

“There have been years when we ran short. There have been years when we haven’t been able to give as many toys as we would like,” he said. “We’d like to give everybody at least three toys. At least three.”

Toys are already stacked neatly on shelves locked away in a storage room, but the shelves still have plenty of space. Tart said toys for kids between the ages of nine and 12 are most needed.

“Gloves, baseball bats, any type of sporting equipment, balls, things like that. They love them,” he said.

All year round, the Rescue Mission provides basic needs for families but, during the holidays, they believe toys are necessary for children to enjoy and create good memories.

“To see these kids lining up out here at three, four o’clock in the morning, little children lining up early in the morning because they want to make sure they get a toy, it’s really important,” Tart said.

The Durham Rescue Mission will be accepting unopened toys until Dec. 15 and toys will be given out on Dec. 22.