Jeff Johnson, who said he is the new coordinator for Toys for Tots covering Hampshire, Hardy and Mineral counties, asked commissioners during public comment for assistance finding warehouse space to store, sort and distribute donated toys.
“I’m looking for … warehouse space that I can use for the various parts of the campaign — the storage of toys, the sorting of toys, and then eventually the distribution of toys,” Johnson told the commission. He said his campaign is new and currently run by a single volunteer, but he hopes to recruit volunteers and have an operational distribution this year. Johnson said he is targeting a distribution date of Dec. 21 and estimated a preference for about 1,500 square feet with electricity, plumbing and good road access for staged distribution.
Commission President Englager thanked Johnson for his work and said the commission could look into available county-owned space or recommend noncounty options such as churches; he said any formal county assistance would require placing the request on a future agenda for consideration.
Why it matters: a local Toys for Tots campaign would restore a coordinated regional toy distribution that organizers said lapsed after the COVID-19 pandemic; commissioners said they will help identify options but would need to consider any county property use formally.
No formal county commitment was made at the Sept. 23 meeting; the clerk offered to collect Johnson’s contact information and to explore possibilities for presentation at a future meeting.