Not enough toys for Christmas? Salvation Army ‘very afraid’ over donation shortfall

With the days until Christmas dwindling, the Salvation Army Elgin Corps is well behind pace in collecting enough toys for more than 1,700 needy kids for the holidays.

“We are really low on toys — very, very low,” Major Roberto Viquez said. “I’m very afraid.”

The shortage at the Elgin Corps — which also serves Carpentersville, East and West Dundee, South Elgin and Streamwood — isn’t unique among Salvation Army locations in the area.

This week, the Salvation Army North and Central Illinois Division issued a plea for help, saying it's “thousands” of gifts behind its goal.

“Each toy donated brings love, joy, and happiness to a child this Christmas,” Major Caleb Senn, the Salvation Army Chicago Area commander, said in a press release. “Our goal is to make sure no child wakes up Christmas morning without a gift. We are calling on the generosity of our neighbors to make sure children across the state have a merry Christmas.”

Palatine Township Supervisor Andy-John G. Kalkounos said the need this year is higher than ever, but so far donors to the township’s holiday campaigns are keeping up.

Among other efforts, the township runs a toy drive, an Angel Tree and an adopt-a-family program for the holidays.

"We have seen a record in applications (for programs), he said, citing 5% to 20%, increases, depending on the program. "There's a lot more need out there in recent years. And donations have been surging to meet the need.”

Meanwhile, more than 1,700 children from 540 families are signed up to receive what could be their only Christmas gifts this year from the Salvation Army Elgin Corps.

“Many families are debating between buying Christmas presents or buying food,” Viquez said. “A lot of people rely on us. They really need it, and we need support from the community.”

Normally, the Elgin Corps is close to finishing up collections by this point, according to development director Rick Riegner.

However, the loss of some corporate sponsors has set back the group. Riegner said the Elgin Corps even lowered the number of families it is trying to serve this year by about 100.

“We’re struggling to get those toys to meet that need,” Riegner said. “It’s such a tough thing because we’re totally relying on partners to help us make Christmas possible for these kids.”

The Elgin Corps has “adopted” nearly 40 families in dire situations, several of whom still need sponsors, Major Melissa Viquez said.

“There’s a need we would like to fulfill but we need the community’s help,” she said. “I’m very, very concerned because I don’t think we’re going to have enough (sponsors).”

The Salvation Army has an Angel Tree set up in the Walmart store at 1100 S. Randall Road in Elgin. Shoppers can pull tags from the tree, buy items and leave them at the store to be picked up. In addition, there’s a Walmart registry for making purchases online.

New, unwrapped, age-appropriate toys for babies, toddlers, and adolescent children, as well as gift cards to help fill the void for teenagers, can be delivered directly to the Corps’ community center at 316 Douglas Ave. Gifts can also be picked by Salvation Army drivers by contacting social services coordinator Maria Padilla at (847) 741-2304.

The original deadline for donations was Dec. 16, but Roberto Viquez said they’ll push it back a couple of days in hopes of a late rush of toys helping them meet their goals.

Because there’s a shortage of toy donations across the region, Viquez said other corps won’t be able to help them make up the difference.

“My plea to the community is to support us, believe in us, and we can make a difference in someone’s life and someone’s heart,” he said.