Bunches of toys, bicycles, games and other Christmas items will be given out to almost one thousand of Richland County’s neediest children this weekend for Toy Time’s annual toy distribution.
While volunteers have been busy repairing and cleaning toys and bicycles in anticipation for the big giveaway, longtime volunteer Jeff Hammett said the non-profit organization has been patching leaks in the roof of their building at 280 N. Diamond St.
“This has been going on for the past couple of years,” Hammett said of the water leakage and damage. “It just progressively gets worse. They patch it and it works but then it starts leaking again.”
Hammett said they have known they have needed a new roof for years but do not have the funding to pay roughly $50,000 for a new roof.
They have hung plastic tarp-like bags along the ceiling to help catch the water and tar like substance leaking from the roof, Hammett said.
Teresa Boner, the director at Toy Time, said they learned their lesson in 2007 and in 2010 when the building was flooded and damaged a good amount of toys. So, now at the end of their toy distribution all the toys and bikes are housed upstairs. But, the problem remain with the roof leaking, so there is a potential for damage to the toys.
“The roof has been basically leaking since we got the building back in ’96,” Boner said.
Toy Time is a non-profit 501c3 organization and only operates on donations, Boner said. “We just need funding for a new roof.”
Boner said no one in the organization gets a pay check and all operations are solely volunteer based. “We receive toys and whatever money people donate.”
Boner said she has talked with people at the Richland County Foundation as well as other local funding sources about potential help to fund a new roof but help has not been forthcoming.
Any child, ages 0-10, who is a Richland County resident, can be signed up to be given toys for Christmas, Boner said. There are no income guidelines or other prerequisites to get presents from Toy Time. Applications for toys were taken at the Toy Time offices in November and the early part of December. Applicants were given a paper with their child or children’s names on it which had a date and time of the pick-up for the free toys.
Some Toy Time participants have been known to start “camping out” the evening before the toy distribution in anticipation of receiving the best toys.
“It takes over 200 to 300 volunteers to give everything away,” Hammett said.
Rick Worner of Worner Roofing said he has been helping patch the roof at the Toy Time building free of charge.
“For the past eight to 10 years, we have done our best to keep Toy Time high and dry,” he said. “And it’s been a nightmare doing that but we know they don’t have any money for a new roof.”
He said his company just purchased a special coating to go on the roof after the toy distribution next week.
Worner said he completes the work and with supplies because of all the good the organization does for the community at Christmas time.
“I don’t know how we could have done anything less,” he said. “Toy Time is such a wonderful organization…and it’s for the kids.”
Donations towards a new roof for Toy Time can be dropped off at any Richland Bank location and earmarked “Roof Fund.” Boner can be reached at the Toy Time headquarters at 419-522-8900.
“This has been going on for the past couple of years,” Jeff Hammett said of the water leakage and damage. “It just progressively gets worse. They patch it and it works but then it starts leaking again.”
