Central Baptist Church launching the 32nd season of its Christmas Toy Store to provide assistance to families in Cumberland County with registration beginning Tuesday.
Communications Director Katie Horn said the ministry began in the 1990s by serving 10 local families. Horn said the program has expanded significantly over three decades and assisted 147 families and 364 children during the previous holiday season.
“It is really neat to get to do something so tangible, something that serves a need in our community,” Horn said. “There are people obviously who are struggling and who are in need of hope and getting to meet that physical need, it allows families to get to experience that Christmas morning joy of watching their children open gifts who may not otherwise get to have that experience.”
Horn said more than 175 volunteers assisted with the event last year by setting up the store and shopping for inventory throughout the year. Horn said the church transforms its facility into a literal toy store where parents can select items based on the ages of their children.
“The whole reason that we celebrate Christmas anyway is because God sent us the perfect gift, which was his son Jesus, who lived a perfect life that we cannot live and ultimately offered himself as our rescue for our wrongdoings,” Horn said. “And so this is a very tangible way that we get to meet a need in our family but also get to share about the ultimate gift and the hope and the joy that we get to find in Jesus.”
Horn said the store provides a variety of items including books, plush toys, stocking stuffers, and candy. Horn said the church also provides gift wrap and bows so parents can take the items home to wrap them for their children.
“I carried bags for families from a very young age, and just really neat to get to now be a part of it in this way as someone who is being able to help with the communications of the church and so it is really a neat neat ministry and very near and dear to my heart,” Horn said. “And it’s something that is a wonderful way that we get to serve our community.”
Horn said signups for the program are held in person at the church on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9am to 3pm. Horn said the registration period continues through October 29.
“I think what I would tell them is that our heart is to ultimately just share the joy and the love of Christmas and the gift of Jesus Christ,” Horn said. “And that we are so thrilled for the opportunity to get to share that with our community.”
Horn said applicants must bring a photo ID and either birth certificates or custody papers for each child.