MUST Ministries celebrates 30 years of helping families through the MUST Toy Shop.
By Katy Ruth Camp
Imagine a child waking up on Christmas morning with no gifts to open, asking why Santa didn’t come to visit. That is the reality for so many of our neighbors in need struggling through poverty. For 30 years, MUST Ministries has performed Christmas miracles for thousands of children and families through its Toy Shop program.
The MUST Toy Shop program is unique in that it allows Cobb County mothers and fathers to visit its location in Town Center Mall to pick out a dozen new toys for each child, ensuring that their children will get just what they wanted and needed for Christmas. A volunteer acts as the family’s personal shopper, helping them navigate the areas that are divided by ages to pick out gifts catered to their children’s preferences. And it’s not just toys — families also receive necessary winter items like new blankets, socks, and underwear. Last year, more than 6,000 children received over 600,000 toys, thanks to donations from community supporters and the help of hundreds of volunteers.
“No child should wake up on Christmas morning and feel sad and deflated because they think Santa decided not to visit them,” said MUST President & CEO Dr. Ike Reighard. “We want everyone to have the chance to feel the Christmas spirit, regardless of their financial circumstances. Christmas is a joyous time for many, but it can also be a very hard time for others. This is just one way that MUST can help these children and families to feel loved and take one less burden off them during the Christmas season.”
A humble beginning
Although MUST has been helping the community for 53 years, the Toy Shop program began 30 years ago when a kind volunteer, Sam Morris, saw the need to spread Christmas cheer to families who were having to decide whether to keep the lights on or bring joy to their children on Christmas Day.
Morris purchased a mobile trailer unit that was placed at a church on South Cobb Drive to house donated toys that were then given out to families in need. “One thing that has stuck with me forever was, the first year I was involved in Toy Shop (1999), it was in the basement of some apartments and the families we helped were able to receive one new toy for someone in the family,” said MUST Community Outreach Director Paula Rigsby, who now oversees the Toy Shop program. “All other toys were used, though they were cleaned and fixed by volunteers. I am so happy to say that everything now is brand new!”
Making a difference
Mother Priscilla Wiley has visited the MUST Toy Shop for the past few years and said that it has always been the best gift she receives at Christmas. “When I first came, I thought, ‘I hope they don’t give my kids things they don’t like,’” she said, with a laugh. “Most places pick it out for you, but not at this Toy Shop. You come in as a parent and you pick it out. It means a lot. Just to see my kids open their gifts, and to see the smiles on their faces, and it was something that they asked for and that they really, really wanted, it means a lot.”
Wiley said there have been times when she has wondered if she could pay a bill at Christmastime, much less afford toys for her children. “You can come to MUST and shop at the Toy Shop, that’s one less burden on you. It’s less stress, and you can get into the Christmas spirit and you’re able to do other things with your children. I like the people here because they’re funny, they interact with you, and they don’t look down on you. They want to help you.”
Wiley added that visitors to the Toy Shop can also be connected to the other resources MUST provide, such as assistance with food, shelter, clothing, and other needs. “If you need help, they’ll find other resources to help you in other ways, too, in your time of need. Everyone has a time in their lives when they’re down. Everyone has a time in their lives when they have to get things together. If you don’t ask for help, you probably won’t get help. This is a place where it’s a helping place. It’s a hand-me-up, not a hand-me-down,” she said.
A resource for all ages
Many toy shops focus on children of a certain age but MUST is also unique in that it offers families with assistance for all children, up to age 18. Many families have multiple children of varying ages and MUST ensures that all children have gifts on Christmas morning. Two age groups often overlooked are babies and teenagers. MUST has a specific area for babies where families can collect “Baby Boxes” for children up to age 1. The boxes include items such as bottles, diapers, and wipes. Teenaged children can also receive items such as makeup kits, purses/wallets, and sports equipment. Proper hygiene is also important at any age, so MUST collects hygiene kits to give to the children with items such as shampoo, soap, and hair brushes.
All items that are given to families through Toy Shop are new and unwrapped, and are collected through donations from the community. Donations can be dropped off at the MUST Donation Center (1280 Field Parkway, Marietta, GA 30066) or purchased through MUST’s Amazon Wish List, which sends the toys directly to the Donation Center. Hundreds of volunteers are also needed to sort toys, help shoppers, and collect items, and MUST also accepts financial donations to purchase toys for children.
For more information on how to support the MUST Toy Shop through donating and/or volunteering, visit mustministries.org/toy-shop.
How You Can Help
Want to donate? Outside of general toys, there are many other ways to help children in need this Christmas through the MUST Toy Shop.
Baby Boxes
- Bottles
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Clothing
- Educational toys
Stuff-a-Stocking (filling a 1-gallon Ziploc bag)
- Ages 0-6: pacifiers, teethers, small toys, flashcards, crayons, etc.
- Ages 7-12: Matchbox cars, small toys, hair bows, candy, Pokémon cards, etc.
- Ages 13-18: earbuds, nail polish, lip gloss, candy, etc.
Christmas Wishes
- Handmade Christmas cards (in English and Spanish), wishing the family a happy holiday season and Merry Christmas (signed by the group — no last names)
Family Fun Time
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Board games
- Yard games
- Lego kits
Crafty Christmas
- Coloring books
- Crayons and colored pencils
- Art supplies
- Project kits
Comfort
- No-sew blankets (there are several YouTube tutorials on how to easily make these)
- Stuffed “plush” animals
- Sensory pillows
- Plush “snuggler blankets” for infants
- Wearable blanket hoodies
- Underwear
- Socks
- Hats/gloves
Hygiene Kits
- Baby shampoo
- Shampoo
- Soap
- Toothpaste/toothbrush
- Hair brush/comb
- Deodorant
- Floss picks
- Diaper cream
- Cornstarch powder
- Lip balm
