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Capt. Christine Harris of the Salvation Army in Fredericksburg sorts through bags of donated toys looking for those involved in recent recalls because of choking hazards, lead paint and other toxins.
Recalled toys found by the Salvation Army at its distribution center will be returned to the manufacturers.
Social Services Coordinator Jamie B. Smith (right) and Carolyn Law of the Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary |
Santa will soon be checking his list twice.
And so will his helpers.
Groups organizing Christmas toy drives won't be looking for naughty or nice boys but for dangerous toys.
They're going down the list of more than 2 million toys that have been recalled in the past year, checking them against their stock of donated toys.
"We're going to have to look at the list and check it twice and have somebody go behind us and check it again," said Marilyn Stevens, executive director of SERVE, a Stafford County-based nonprofit.
She and other toy-drive directors will weed out toys such as Bedtime Dora, Baby Einstein Color Blocks and AquaDots.
Combing through the lists will take time during an already hectic holiday season, area toy-drive leaders said.
Capt. Christine Harris with the Salvation Army in Fredericksburg said her volunteers planned to set up the toy distribution center this week. Instead, they're checking the group's stash of toys against the recall list.
The Salvation Army hopes to serve 4,000 residents this season. And with that many people, time becomes an important commodity.
Still, it's better safe than sorry, said Harris' husband, Capt. Mike Harris.
He said most of the toys will be safe, because the recalled toys are no longer on the shelves. But the group has a stash of toys from last year to give to any kids not adopted by its Angel Trees program.
Christine Harris tried to place a toy order this fall. The order would have helped those kids who don't get any toys when the Angel Tree program ends. But her order couldn't be filled when many of the toys showed up on the recall list.
The Rappahannock Area Chapter of the Red Cross said the recall just means volunteers have to get a little creative with their time and efforts to educate both sponsors and the families served.
The agency reminded everyone sponsoring children to check the recall list. And volunteers will tell families, too, said Kristen Taylor, volunteer services coordinator for the local chapter.
The recall won't affect the Toys for Tots program too much, said Staff Sgt. Lawrence Sanchez, who works with Quantico's campaign.
The Marines already ask for every toy to come unwrapped, and they regularly check each toy to make sure its appropriate and not tampered with. It will take only a little more time to then check those toys against the recall list, Sanchez said.
"We're also constantly scouring the papers to make sure we haven't missed anything," he said.
So far, recall fears don't seem to be slowing donations, Sanchez said. The campaign area stretches from Caroline County to Northern Virginia and west to Warrenton, said Wilma Vaughn, a spokeswoman for the Marine Corps at Quantico. It includes 63 sponsors and so far plans to give toys to 100 organizations.
SERVE is one of those groups, and Stevens said they trust the Marines to check the toys. But volunteers will review them again.
"We really don't want to give out anything that's hazardous to the children," she said.
Amy Flowers Umble: 540/735-1973| For information on recalled toys, including a comprehensive list, visit cpsc.gov. You may also sign up for RSS feeds, Web-based updates, for any new recalls. |
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Area organizations say their toy drives are going well, but they still need help to brighten the holidays for local needy children:
The Salvation Army is seeking bell-ringers for its red kettle donation program, sponsors for its Angel Tree gift program for children, volunteers at its distribution site and donations. 540/373-3431. The Rappahannock Area Red Cross still needs sponsors for nearly 30 children. 540/735-0507. SERVE seeks donations, especially gift cards for teens. 540/288-9603. Toys for Tots wants toys for children ages 11 to 14 and infants as well as volunteers at its warehouse. 703/296-8769.
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