Dawn Hernandez said she would do anything for her kids. Four months pregnant with twins, she left her West Scranton home Tuesday afternoon and walked to Lackawanna College's Student Union Building.
This 45-minute trek meant putting a smile on her children's faces, as she was able to pick out toys for them at the Friends of the Poor toy drive.
The annual event began a few years after the organization's founding in 1984, said Sister Ann Walsh. About 100 volunteers assisted the nearly 500 families that showed up Tuesday, she said.
One volunteer, Aaron Saunders, stood behind a toy display that had Hot Wheels cars, board games and foam baseball bats. "We need to show what we want the world to be like," he said of giving and helping others. "What would Christmas be without toys?" he asked.
"Friends of the Poor is a helper of Santa," said Brian Williams, one of the organization's board members and longtime volunteers. "I think for families that might not have something underneath the tree, it's a little bit of a boost," he said.
Families were required to demonstrate need when they signed up, Mr. Williams said. They were then given a slip that listed the ages and genders of the children they were shopping for. Volunteers took families on a loop throughout the room, beginning with toys and ending with clothes and books. Families could choose one toy, clothing item, book and stuffed animal per child, Sister Ann said.
Anneliese Potter sported a Santa hat as she stood near a display of toys for older girls. She and her husband began volunteering with Friends of the Poor several years ago, she said. She recognized that the same toys purchased for 5-year-olds might not be suitable for 11- and 12-year-olds, so she decided to start knitting scarves and making bracelets for the older children.
"I hope to see happy girls on Christmas morning," she said with a smile.
Audrey George shopped for her 6-month-old son and her two stepsons, ages 11 and 8. She said this was her first time at the toy drive.
"I think it's a very good thing they (Friends of the Poor) do, so that kids don't feel left out," she said as she picked up a Fisher-Price toy. "It means that I can provide more toys for my kids."
Sister Ann said she and her volunteers begin toy-shopping the day after Christmas and shop continuously until the event. Friends of the Poor purchases about 90 percent of the toys with donation money, and the rest of the toys are donated, she said. This year, she said they purchased 3,000 toys for the two-day giveaway, an increase from previous years. The drive added clothing and jackets over the past two years, said Felicia Turner, a Friends of the Poor volunteer for the past 20 years.
Ms. Hernandez, 31, left with two gifts she knows her children will love, she said. Her 6-year-old son's reaction when he opens his gifts motivates her to attend the event, even if she must walk.
"Just to see his expression is a gift for me," she said.
The second day of the toy drive begins at 9 a.m. today.
Contact the writer: shazen@timesshamrock.com