Toys for Sandy Hook

So tonight I ran out for a minute to look for an item I heard a store had that dh wanted (they didn't - boo) and when I went to check out (because invariably I bought smurf I didn't need even though they didn't have what I wanted) they asked me if I wanted to buy a toy for the kids of Sandy Hook. The store was planning to ship them. I said no thank you, but the guy in front of me & the guy behind me said yes & did. Then as I stooped to zip up my 5 yr old's coat, I noticed a bin that said the VFW was collecting for LOCAL kids for Xmas toys. Ds was looking over the edge & dropped something in. I said "what are you doing?" and he said he was throwing it away. I said it isn't a trash can, he said it was. I look in & what do I see? An empty bin with a few pieces of garbage. Now I get it - Sandy Hook IS a tragedy, but I live in an area that is really hurting for jobs still. The woman at the counter isn't asking people if they want to buy a child a toy, she is asking for Sandy Hook & that bin is OVERflowing. There was not a SINGLE toy in the local bin. I asked her if they came for a pick up already today & she said NOT YET they come at close (which was 45 mins away). So I told Ds to go pick out 3 things to go in THAT bin. He did, but then literally tried to argue with me he didn't want to throw it away that "toys go in that bin momma".

I HIGHLY doubt those toys will get to Sandy hook before Xmas anyway. I highly doubt those kids aren't going to have things under their tree. So I guess I think it's pretty foolish a few days before Xmas, for a store in Michigan to be collecting purposefully for Sandy Hook & not mentioning at all that we NEED local donations.

Is that being a curmudgeon or do you think they should at LEAST point out BOTH bins? Literally people were using the local one for TRASH. I took the trash out to put the toys in & had to get the clerk to come over to tell my 5 yr old it wasn't a trash bin & the toys would go to kids if we put them in there because he would not believe me.

So the toys are going for kids who can't play with them? or what do you mean. that may have sounded really heartless but i just asked my husband what he thought and he said he would give the toys to kids to need them.. I'm not sure why the kids from sandy hook need them anyway.. i didn't know they needed toys.. All i know is that babies are resting and teachers are resting.. I'm sorry if this sounds heartless im just not understanding why we're sending toys to newtown...?

that's really odd. Are you sure it's not a scam or something?? I mean those kids likely are gonna haul in a smurf ton of gifts from their own family and friends, why would they need it from strangers

Quoting Amber Marie Norris:" So the toys are going for kids who can't play with them? or what do you mean. that may have sounded really ... [snip!] ... and teachers are resting.. I'm sorry if this sounds heartless im just not understanding why we're sending toys to newtown...?"

See I don't know either. That was what I didn't understand. They've been reporting locally that Toys for Tots is coming up short this year, so I can't fathom why we'd be collecting for kids elsewhere when we aren't collecting enough for kids here & I don't know what good toys will do there.

I get it that people wan tot feel like they can *do* something...but I don't think this particular thing is what we can do to help.

Quoting nursemaya -mommy to 2:" that's really odd. Are you sure it's not a scam or something?? I mean those kids likely are gonna haul in a smurf ton of gifts from their own family and friends, why would they need it from strangers"

I don't think it's a scam. If it is, they likely took our toys out of the local bin too. LOL

That's strange and I probably would have done the same thing. The Sandy kids aren't in need of toys. They are in need of extra love, attention, and therapy right now.

Why would the Sandy Hook kids need toys? They probably are getting plenty from their own families.

Yeah... the tragedy was awful and I'm very hopeful that Christmas will be able to get it off their minds for a few hours, but they're not in need. Sandy Hooks isn't a poor area and the shooting happened far enough from Christmas that I'm sure the parents of the survivors got toys, and I'm pretty positive the families of the kids killed are not going to want to be celebrating.

But I'm also one of those smurfs who doesn't donate to toys for tots because I think a sturdy winter coat and some food is more important to give to a homeless kid than a Barbie.

I think it's stupid and I am sorry the local kids are hurting because of it. I wouldn't donate toys to Sandy Hook, seems useless and kind of like a publicity stunt.

If I donate, I usually only donate local and it's not things like toys (unless I am cleaning out closets, then I take them to good will or something) - usually a food bank, food drive or hat and coat drive like my old school district used to do.

I read today that Newtown, Connecticut is not accepting anymore toy donations (mass surplus, lack of need, and lack of storage) and that they are asking others to donate to local (relative to the givers location) charities/ children in honor of the victims from their town.

And yes, I agree with you.

I agree with you that is messed up. They don't need toys. They need access to counselors to help them talk through their feelings after the horrible things that they have seen. Those poor babies.

I will say that I was disgusted to see that the angel tree in my area was asking for X Box 360s and Ipads for Christmas. I can not believe that these people were not telling their kids to ask for something more affordable. Those greedy ass kids don't deserve smurf IMO.

Quoting Regina George:" I agree with you that is messed up. They don't need toys. They need access to counselors to help them ... [snip!] ... these people were not telling their kids to ask for something more affordable. Those greedy ass kids don't deserve smurf IMO."

Wtf, they seriously put down to get these kids Xboxes and Ipads? I blame that on the stupid organization for actually putting that down, though, not the kids - the kids are going to want XBoxes and Ipads and probably don't understand how expensive they are. The organization shouldn't have put them down, though or at least monitored the kids lists

I feel awful about the shooting. I was crying for days. It's just cruel and heartless, and UGH, hope I never have to feel what those families are feeling.

BUT... they are hurting emotionally, and spiritually... not financially.... they dont need ass loads of toys hauled in from across the country.... plus their kids are DEAD... what good are toys going to do? Im really upset over the whole movement to donate toys to sandy hook.

there are thousands of hurricane SANDY victims without even a roof over their heads... im sure they could use the help in the christmas toy department.

aw well. is what it is.

Quoting Viv, Ev & Gwen ♥:" Yeah... the tragedy was awful and I'm very hopeful that Christmas will be able to get it off their minds ... [snip!] ... to toys for tots because I think a sturdy winter coat and some food is more important to give to a homeless kid than a Barbie."

I completely agree. We normally do donations for the senior center here since there are MANY seniors in need & they often get overlooked. We also do one box of personal care items for the woman's shelter - so shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razors, etc. They are always short on that stuff.