24 Hour Home Care’s Toy Drive Brings Joy to Hundreds of Children of the Tri-Counties Regional Center
A crowd quickly formed outside the doors of the Tri-Counties Regional Center, as parents from all over Ventura County excitedly lined up, one after the other, with their children in tow. Two volunteers wearing lit-up headbands opened the doors to the Holiday Toy Drive, and the families flooded in.
24 Hour Home Care, a non-medical in-home care company, collaborated with Rainbow Connection Family Resource Center, a program of Tri-Counties Regional Center, a nonprofit that provides services for children and adults with developmental disabilities in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, in addition to various community partners and local vendors, to host its annual Holiday Toy Drive event. In October, 24 Hour Home Care began collecting toys for Tri-Counties Regional Center, relying on its community’s generosity to brighten up the holidays for the children and their families. Toy Drive drop boxes were posted up at local businesses, hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, collecting nearly 600 toys.
“Our team created a wish list that focused on sensory and therapy toys, which enhance the development of motor and communication skills, and donors gifted us toys off of our list in bulk,” noted Sonia Ojeda, 24 Hour Home Care’s Program Director of Disability Services, “This year, we received more toy donations than ever before— and we could not be more grateful.”
At the Holiday Toy Drive, parents and children carefully picked out toys together, before getting them wrapped at the wrapping counter. Families glued, cut and taped together Christmas ornaments at the arts and crafts corner, snapped instant photos at the holiday photo booth, and enjoyed coffee and donuts at the breakfast table.
“I wish our donors could see what it’s like when a child finds his dream scooter or the baby doll he or she’s always wanted at our Toy Drive. This is a special time for us to give back to the community we serve and we can’t wait to support the Regional Centers next year.” said Ojeda.
To see the toy drive in full swing, watch the video of special moments we were able to capture during the event.