SHELBY – A Christmas tree decorated with blue, silver and gold ornaments stands tall in the Shelby Justice Center lobby.
The Shelby Police Department will be accepting new, unopened toys for children in the community from now until Christmas Eve.
Chaplain Dan Gates said all eligible applicants will receive an appointment time to pick up presents during distribution at the Shelby Justice Center, 31 Mack Ave., on Dec. 21.
“They (recipients) will drive through our sally port in the back (of the building) and we’ll hand them their package at their time,” he said. “It works very efficiently for everybody.”
Only new, unopened toys will be accepted for distribution, wrote Shelby Police Chief Lance Combs in a post on the department’s Facebook page.
The department is asking that gifts be wrapped prior to donation, which speeds up the process in cases of last-minute requests.
Donors are also asked to write the age range for which the present is suggested, as well as if the gift is intended for a boy or girl, on the outside of the wrapping paper.
Toys may be dropped off at the Shelby Justice Center at any time, day or night.
Gates, who’s been with the department for eight years, said the distribution process begins with separating all donations into the appropriate age groups.
“We match up presents with those people who have applied as recipients to the program,” he said. “Then we distribute them from there.”
Who’s eligible to receive presents and how to apply
Those interested in applying to receive presents can either call the police department non-emergency line, 419-347-2242, or send a private message to the Shelby Police Department on Facebook.
Gates said applicants may also send a text message to his phone number, (419-566-8667). All applicants will receive a follow-up call from Gates, who will vet the request.
Eligible applicants are restricted to children who live in the Shelby City School district, he said.
“The ability to service an area larger than that (Shelby City Schools) becomes difficult,” Gates said. “We want to make sure that we can service the area that we live in.”
Gates said his involvement with Christmas toy collection began in a smaller role when he joined the department, but has since grown to a leadership position along with his wife.
“As the years have gone by, the program has grown and so has our involvement,” he said. “It seems like the more we refined the program, the larger it became.”
Shelby Police Department encourages local businesses to be involved
The department encourages local businesses and groups to consider making donations to the program and encourages those who participate to take pictures of their gift giving experience.
Any businesses or groups who photograph their experience are welcome to share their photos with the Shelby Police Department on Facebook, who would like to share them on their page.
Gates said the response from individuals, businesses, and groups in the community each year has been overwhelming.
“It’s really humbling to see just how involved people are willing to become,” he said. “Last year we had the biggest response ever and I would assume the same will be true this year.”
Community response ‘warms the heart’
Seeing community members from all walks of life come to the department and make donations is a special feeling, he said.
“We see parents with small children coming in and that warms the heart, to see that kind of example being set for children,” he said.
“Employers are posting it on their Facebook page, collecting gifts, and then bringing it down to the police department, which is a great community spirit.”
Whatever presents remain after distribution has concluded are donated by the service department to Shelby Help Line Ministries, 29 1 ⁄ 2 Walnut St., who include the toys in their Christmas program the following year.
“Our community always fills the lobby with gifts,” Combs wrote on the department’s Facebook post. “I have no doubt it will be the same this year. Thank you to all who donate and Merry Christmas!”
For those interested, updates regarding this year’s Christmas toy collection will be posted periodically on the Shelby Police Department Facebook page.