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VOL. 0/ISSUE 3
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013
Toys for Tots seeking help for families in need Patrick McCallister For Veteran voice
patrick.mccallister@yahoo.com
Mitch Kloorfain/chief photographer Kirsten England of Babies R Us in Tradition assists Staff Sergeant Nathaniel Wells, Toys for Tots coordinator with a purchase of Christmas presents to be presented during the holiday season to children. is looking for donations, volunteers, and collection sites. On Saturday, Nov. 23, volunteers and employees from Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to accept toy donations at the St. Lucie County Emergency Operations Center, 15305 Midway Road, Fort Pierce. The donation collection is more than just an exercise in good
cheer. It’s also points-of-distribution practice for St. Lucie’s and Indian River’s emergency-management teams, the American Red Cross of the Treasure Coast, and Florida Department of Health agencies in Martin and St. Lucie. Wells said every year there seems to be more families who need help giving their children a Christmas.
“I do remember us serving more than 5,000 children (last year),” he said. “That’s the number that sticks out to me.” Wells works with the Marine Corps League’s Jack Ivy Detachment, 666, to coordinate Toys for Tots. He said there are more than 100 locations to donate toys in St. Lucie this year. Most
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“Merry Christmas,” the girl called to the Marine Corps veteran. Nathaniel Wells was unloading some late Toys for Tots donations at his home when a woman and young girl passed by. It was Christmas afternoon. He replied the holiday greeting to the lass, and asked what Santa given her. Turned out that a walk with Mom was pretty much her Christmas present that year. Oh, no, not on Wells’ watch. “I had a bicycle perfect for her size,” Wells said. He’d find out that it was the first bike the girl would ever own. Wells pressed and found out the woman had five children. None was getting tangible presents that year. But, the woman wasn’t looking for any handouts. She didn’t get that her family was now the Marine’s mission. “I loaded up a big bag of toys for them,” he said. “I asked where they lived. They lived two blocks away from me.” Wells ended up getting the biggest gift that day. With a voice rich in emotion, he described the moment. “The little girl said, ‘Mister, can I pray for you?’ Wells said. He paused, audibly gathering himself. “She thanked God for a man she’d never met before.” Wells is the coordinator for the Toys for Tots in St. Lucie County. All along the Space and Treasure coasts, Toys for Tots