Local charities work together to make the holidays bright

Leading up to Christmas, the Shops at Ithaca Mall is home to two local gift giving organizations: The Ithaca Salvation Army and local charity Cops, Kids and Toys. Along with Toys for Tots and the Cornell Elves, these groups work tirelessly to make sure all of Tompkins County’s children have presents to open this holiday season.

Cops, Kids & Toys

Cops, Kids & Toys was stationed at the mall all week to hand out presents. On Thursday, Bryan Welcher and Terry Fee, both volunteers from the New York State Park Police, were in uniform greeting those who came to pick up presents for their families.

Why does Welcher volunteer every year? “To be a part of something bigger than myself,” he said.  

Welcher started volunteering for the organization back when police officers used to drive around and deliver presents to families. These days, having one pickup location is more efficient, he said, adding that he enjoys the interaction with the public.

“It’s nice to see that they’re very appreciative, and just to be a part of that is nice,” Welcher said.

The organization has grown considerably since it started in the 1980s.

“It’s a well-oiled machine,” said Karen Burns, probation supervisor with Tompkins County Probation, who was handing out gifts on Thursday as well. She has volunteered for the organization for the last 18 years.

Cops, Kids & Toys’ biggest fundraiser by far is the Dump and Run sale held at the mall every summer. The group works with Cornell University to collect used items that students do not want to take with them at the end of the school year. The items get cleaned up and resold to students and members of the public, and all of the proceeds go to Cops, Kids & Toys.

“We get a lot of donations, but our major fundraiser, the Dump and Run, gives us a pretty good amount of money to start,” said Cops, Kids & Toys President Bill Apgar, of the Tompkins County Probation Department.

This year was one of the best for the Dump and Run, and the second year it has been held at the mall rather than on campus, Apgar said. “We just had a really good location and a lot of active people,” he said, adding, “It seemed a lot more fun this year.”

Apgar said that the number of applications received this year was about average. The organization was able to help about 800 children, but he pointed out that Toys for Tots was also active in Tompkins County for its second year (they gave to about 100 children), and The Salvation Army helped an additional 300 families compared to years past.

“We’ve served over 1,000 [families] at times, but it’s steady,” Apgar said.

Cops, Kids & Toys communicates with The Salvation Army and Toys for Tots so the volunteers can figure out which is the best fit for families who applied to more than one organization. This allows them to spread their resources effectively, reaching as many families as possible.

People support the cause in a variety of creative ways, said Donald Lyke, road patrol lieutenant at Ithaca College and a Cops, Kids & Toys volunteer. Monetary donations are always welcome, as the organization shops for toys in addition to collecting toys in bins located throughout the county. A group of women takes donations of yarn so they can knit hats, mittens, scarves and slippers for the children. Jay Dietershagen, owner of The Crossroads Bar & Grill, held a fundraiser where the restaurant’s employees donated their tips and he matched the amount. These are just a few examples of the ways in which the community helps out so that the organization can keep giving.

“There’s never not going to be a need,” Burns said. “Somebody is always going to need help.”

For more information about Cops, Kids & Toys, visit copskidsandtoys.org.

Salvation Army

Bell ringers for The Salvation Army are warmly received by most people walking by on their way to grocery shop or to pick up a few items on their holiday gift list. Many people may not not be aware that there are actually fewer bell ringers throughout the Ithaca area this year than in the past.

“It’s kind of discouraging,” said Salvation Army CaptainShaun McNeil. “We’re only 50% to our goal, and we have only until next Saturday. So, we’re very short. But the biggest issue with us is a serious lack of volunteers.”

Last year, The Salvation Army logged close to 600 volunteer bell-ringer hours, and as of Friday morning they had just broken 200 hours, McNeil said.

“We’re trying to make up for that with a digital campaign and newsletters, and that has helped in the past, but at this point it’s pretty hard to think on the bright side,” he said.

They are also losing one of their biggest days for donations, as Christmas Eve is on a Sunday this year, the one day of the week they take off. McNeil said he is hoping that Saturday will be a big day for donations.

“It’s like our Christmas Eve,” he said.

Some volunteers have stepped up to fill the gap in big ways, volunteering for multiple 12-hour shifts. Captain Stacy McNeil, also with The Salvation Army, even rang the bell for 24 hours straight this year.

“I just wanted the challenge,” she said with a smile and a shrug on Thursday at The Salvation Army’s distribution center in the mall.

While some volunteer their time, others give monetary donations; one anonymous donor is willing to match up to $25,000.

COVID caused a spike in donations, with $150,000 raised two years ago and $125,000 last year. Five or six years ago, the organization was pulling in around $90,000, so the amount has stayed pretty consistent, Shaun said.

Surrounded by boxes of organized items and shelves of extra toys, Stacy said she is relieved that the community stepped up to help The Salvation Army serve a record number of people this year: 344 families and 804 children. This included 43 new families who had never applied before.

Though her husband Shaun had a less optimistic viewpoint at this juncture in the year, from Stacy’s perspective as the one in charge of acquiring and distributing toys, the 2023 season was tough but turned out to be one of the best. 

“It was a little nerve-wracking,” she said. “Everything relies on donations.… So, to be able to do that we need community support.”

The Salvation Army gives donations of food and grocery store gift cards as well as toys and clothes, all of it donated or paid for by community donors.

The Food Bank of the Southern Tier is also working to ensure all Tompkins County families have enough to eat during the holidays and beyond with a special donation match offer, Hope for the Holidays. 

“This year, I have been extremely overwhelmed by the amount of support we have received,” Stacy said. “I’m never surprised, because this community is great.”

Thanks to Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, every dollar donated will be doubled to help provide twice as many meals to those in our region who may otherwise go without.

There is still time to volunteer to be a Salvation Army bell ringer. Call them at 607-273-2500 or text TSAVolunteer to 31333.

Toys for Tots and Cornell Elves

Two other organizations also work within the Tompkins County area to bring toys to children.

Toys for Tots has a recently established local branch that collected toys for the second time this year, and they plan to continue growing for years to come, said Heidi Waye, Tompkins County Toys for Tots coordinator.

This year, Toys for Tots gave to 100 children, more than doubling last year’s efforts. It was a festive scene on Friday, when Waye and a group of volunteers handed out the presents at their location on West Clinton Street, which was decorated for the occasion and had wrapping stations available for those picking up toys.

Toys for Tots worked closely with other area giving organizations to reduce redundancies in their services. Toys for Tots does fill in some gaps by keeping registration open until Dec. 12, because many others close registration at the beginning of December, Waye said.

In the future, Waye would like to include clothes along with the toys. She is also excited about the possibility of hosting a fun, kid-friendly event this summer to raise money.

“It certainly is doable,” she said, “and I think it would help the community come together in more unity if we were to do things like that.”

For more information, visit www.toysfortots.org.

The Cornell Elves works closely with around 40 schools, whose social workers, nurses and other employees nominate children in need. Last year, 1,078 children received clothing and gifts thanks to the elves.

Volunteers “adopt” children and shop according to each one’s specific interests. Sometimes volunteers will even shop for the same child for a number of years in a row, watching the gift lists evolve as the child grows.

In Tompkins County, 16.8% of the population lives below the poverty line, which is below the national average, said Bill Alberta, who started Cornell Elves with his wife, Sherry, in 1989.  

“It’s easy to believe that we are insulated from extreme economic need, but we’re not,” Bill said. But over the years the organization has been able to expand to meet those needs, thanks to hundreds of volunteers.

“We’re in great shape,” he said, “between the people who actually buy the gifts and the remarkable number of groups from the college campus and the community groups that get involved.” He added, “It’s nice to see so many kind people.… We all need that these days.”

For more information, visit elves.cornell.edu.