DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Stanlyn Placencia, left, executive director for the Waianae Community Outreach program, picked up a load of donations yesterday from the Salvation Army Christmas Warehouse. Assisting with the loading were Sina Agor, right, and Ernest Rivera.
Donation surge Fifteen Salvation Army volunteers worked tirelessly on Christmas Eve to sort and bag toys dropped off to the Aiea warehouse -- part of a last-minute surge in donations that should provide presents to most of those needing help over the holidays.
lights up holiday
The Toys for Tots program benefits
from the last-minute giftsBy Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com"It's been good at the very end. In the beginning, we were really slow," said warehouse manager Sina Agor.
Last week, only about 24,000 toys for 23,000 children were donated to the Toys for Tots campaign. Salvation Army officials were also worried about the shortage of donations for the Angel Tree and Lokahi Adopt-A-Family programs.
Donors bought Christmas gifts for about 6,000 senior citizens and children in the Angel Tree program, but that still left the program 1,000 donations short.
But toy donations to the Toys for Tots program jumped to 49,300 for 36,739 children.
A last-minute toy drive in Mililani and some corporate sponsorship helped, officials said.
"This is very positive," said Salvation Army spokesman Daniel de Castro.
"Despite the sluggish economy, the response from the public has still been generous."
De Castro said the Toys for Tots program will cover the shortfall in the Angel Tree program.
Dinosaur figures, Legos and an Easy-Bake Oven were some of the toys donated to the Salvation Army for needy children.
Though the organization did not reach its goal of 65,000 toys, it met its minimum need for the Toys for Tots program, said family services coordinator Chad Buchanan.
"We've accomplished what we really needed to do," Buchanan said. "We got everybody something."
De Castro said Starbucks Coffee was instrumental in helping families through the Lokahi Adopt-A-Family program, which donated 2,671 toys and other items such as soap, shampoo and bath towels.
For every gift that was dropped off for Lokahi families, Starbucks offered a free beverage, said marketing director Sherri Rigg.
It is likely that all 525 families who sought assistance through the Adopt-A-Family program will actually be receiving Christmas presents, he said. Last week, about 372 families were adopted by donors, leaving 153 families without assistance.
Items awaiting to be picked up for needy families through Adopt-A-Family include a microwave, a television, a bag of Calrose rice and an ironing board.
Throughout the day, social service agencies such as the River of Life Mission and Waianae Community Outreach stopped by the Aiea warehouse to pick up donations to deliver to needy families and children.
"Helping families ... that's the reward," said Stanlyn Placencia, executive director of the Waianae Community Outreach.
