Toy for Joy: ‘The best gift,’ books, are part of the effort

Every year, the Toy for Joy Christmas campaign serves three purposes, the impact of which last far beyond any single holiday season.

It allows thousands of deserving children, who would otherwise be left out of the holiday spirit, to experience the joy of receiving gifts.

Its games and toys allow children to be children. Those memories last a lifetime.

But it also provides each deserving child with a book that raises their literacy skills. Every donation to Toy for Joy, no matter how large or small, contributes to the growth in learning for our future generation.

That is not an exaggeration. It’s the truth, and this year’s 103rd edition of Toy for Joy is no different.

Link to Libraries executive vice-president Amy Anderlonis says it best.

“We think books are the best gift,” Anderlonis has said. This year, Link to Libraries is donating 1,000 new, high-quality books to the campaign, thanks to the generosity of local businesses that support the Hampden-based non-profit’s mission.

In 2023, Link to Libraries donated 600 books. Last year, the organization upped its support to 1,000 and has been able to equal that commitment this year.

Every deserving child will get an age-appropriate book. Link to Libraries puts a big dent in the demand.

The rest are acquired through First Book, a nonprofit that provides quality books for children throughout North America.

Studies show that indisputably, the development of reading skills at an early age is essential to success in education. In Springfield and in other school districts, reading skills and literacy for young children are being prioritized through classroom training, field trips and other methods.

When a child receives a book at Christmas, it is also a gift. For them, that alone makes reading special and fun — and makes this aspect of Toy for Joy a community service with a lasting, positive impact.

Link to Libraries was established in 2008 to address literacy concerns, especially among young children who might not otherwise have access to material that could spark their reading interest. It has donated more than one million books since its inception.

Toy for Joy serves deserving children 16 and under in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. Donations are underway and will be accepted throughout a drive that ends on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.

For mail-in contributions, an important change is that this year, there is a new mailing address, as shown on the coupon that accompanies this story.

Donations are to be sent to The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 971, Springfield MA 01101. For online donations, donors can use the general link at https://tinyurl.com/ToyForJoy2025.

This year’s campaign is again sponsored by the Salvation Army through its Western Massachusetts locations in Springfield, Holyoke and Greenfield. It will be advertised and promoted in The Republican, Reminder Publishing, MassLive and El Pueblo Latino.

Registration was held last week and is closed. Pickups will be on designated days in December.