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The North Metro REALTORS®
Association has spearheaded a project called
“Toys for Joy”
since 1986. It is a
501©(3) Minnesota charitable organization. The goal of the group is
to ensure that all children in Anoka County will have gifts under
their Christmas tree each year.
It started by collecting toys for the “Christmas Committee” of
Anoka, MN and helped with their distribution. The Christmas
Committee’s responsibility was to provide food for those in need
during the Holiday. There are countless numbers of volunteers from
churches, clubs and individuals that were involved with that task
and challenged every year with required paper work, collection of
donated food and organization of the actual distribution of gifts
and food. Members of the North Metro REALTORS® Association realized
that the number of gifts items collected were not sufficient to
reach all the children of these families. They began raising funds
to assist in this area through a variety of fundraisers, such as a
golf tournament in the Spring, another major fundraiser in the Fall,
and live auctions, parties, etc. in the various REALTOR® offices.
Members of the North Metro REALTORS® Association go on a “shopping
day” to purchase toys and gift items from local retailers. Tens of
thousand of dollars are raised and used during this shopping spree
to brighten the lives of children up to the age of 18. Toys and food
are also collected from various area businesses that are supplied
with a collection barrel/box. Several school districts, in the Anoka
area, hold food drives & raise money, with many of the students
assisting with sorting of gifts and boxing of food in preparation
for this distribution. Each year, Toys For Joy has touched the lives
of well over 1000 families with approximately 4000 children. All of
these efforts lead to the primary purpose and activity of Toys For
Joy, that being the annual Christmas distribution event that takes
place at the Anoka Armory at 408 Main Street, Anoka, MN in December.
The National Guard generously donates the Armory building for use in
a controlled distribution of donations.
All money raised through the Toys For Joy program stays in Anoka
County and there are no overhead costs to this program as it
operates as a part of the North Metro REALTORS® Association with
services volunteered and materials either donated or loaned to the
organization.
For information regarding qualifying for the Christmas Committee
services, please go to the Applications
page.
For more information of volunteer opportunities and other
fundraising events that will help support “TOYS FOR JOY”, please go
to the Volunteer
Opportunities and Events
pages.
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