Houston's Fourth Ward Christmas Toy Drive 2020
Donation protected
Friends,
With Christmas right around the corner, it is once again time to begin preparing for the Fourth Ward Christmas Toy Drive. Thanks to everyone’s generosity and support, last year’s toy drive at the Rose of Sharon Church was an overwhelming success. (Below is a recap and attached are photos.) We set the bar high last year and would like to go big again. This is a wonderful event, and sometimes the parents are more touched than the kids. These gifts may be one of the only gifts these kids receive for Christmas.
This year will look different with COVID, but we still plan on hosting the toy drive. We will move it outside and structure it so it’s more of a grab-and-go type of event without the festivities. The toy drive will be held at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church (1106 Valentine). We have not set the date yet, but I will send another email once the date has been confirmed.
I have been blessed to know so many generous people and know that we all support various causes, yet have limited resources. If you’re able, please consider making a donation, either through the GoFundMe link below, check or cash. If you would like your donation to be tax deductible, please make the check payable to Rose of Sharon Missionary Baptist Church and send it to me at 1300 Post Oak Blvd, STE 1650, Houston, TX 77056. Any excess funds from this event will be donated to the church. Alternatively, if you would like to donate a gift, that would be great also. Even if you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this with your network. If you wish to donate, the deadlines for collections are outlined below:
Monetary Donations – Monday, November 30th. Check, Cash or GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/houston039s-fourth-ward-christmas-toy-drive-2020
Unwrapped Gift – Wednesday, December 9th. Please note the age range and gender on the gift.
Wrapped Gift – Wednesday, December 16th. Please note the age range and gender on the gift.
Toy donations may be delivered to my office. For those of you that would like to help with gift transportation or gift wrapping, please let me know so that we can coordinate.
Thank you and many blessings.
Derick
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25
But don’t forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God. Hebrews 13:16
Take care of God’s needy people and welcome strangers into your home. Romans 12:13
If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated. Luke 6:38
Generosity will be rewarded: Give a cup of water, and you will receive a cup of water in return. Proverbs 11:25
Caring for the poor is lending to the Lord, and you will be well repaid. Proverbs 19:17
2019 RECAP
Friends,
Despite the cold, rainy weather, the Christmas toy drive was a tremendous success. We served well in excess of 100 kids and families. The kids had a great time running around and spraying each other (and the firemen) with silly string, playing in the fire truck, eating snow cones / shaved ice, getting their faces painted, and playing in the bounce house. As hectic of an event as it is, I did get a chance to speak to two mothers who told to me they had no money to buy their kids for anything for Christmas, and this toy drive was a Christmas miracle for them. I’m sure they weren’t the only ones.
Together we raised $26,304, nearly three times what we raised last year! We spent $22,269, and the remaining $4,035 was donated to the church. Reverend Elmo Johnson is deeply involved in his neighborhood, the Fourth Ward, and he and the church do so much for those residents. Here are links to the Rose of Sharon church and Uplift 4th Ward, an organization through which Reverend Johnson does much of his work.
http://www.uplift4thward.org/home.html
https://www.roseofsharon4thward.org/default.html
With the funds we raised, we were able to provide:
--283 top-tier toys. We received a 15% discount at Learning Express which really helped us stretch our funds. Toys included play dough, art easels, action figures, slinkys, nerf guns, GI Joes, pogo sticks, dancing Mickey Mouses, sound books, books, drawing pads, bow and arrow sets, unicorns, nail pedicure/manicure sets, trucks and cars, car tracks, hot wheels, drum sets, puzzles, sound puzzles, lava lamps, magnetic tiles, Legos, small trampolines, kids camping tents, dart boards, footballs, basketballs, scooters, small basketball goals, Little Tikes sit-in cars, plus much more.
--12 Xbox and 13 Nintendo Switch gaming consoles with two games each
--58 bikes, most with a squeaky horn and tire pump. We received a 10% discount at Academy.
--16 tricycles
--11 articles of clothing
--20 Dominos pizzas
--Plenty of snacks and beverages
--A face painter
--A balloon twister
--A bounce house
--Kona Ice snow cones
--“Lucky” $2 bills for every kid
Additionally, 136 toys and 16 pieces of jewelry were donated prior to the toy drive. Even more were donated on Friday at the toy drive. The Houston Fire Department attended and spent a lot of time hanging out with the kids and showing them the fire truck.
Revered Johnson preached the Sunday following the toy drive about the birth of Jesus and how Joseph did the right thing in taking Mary as his wife, and that we should also focus on doing the right thing. In this case, I believe that means sharing our blessings and helping others. I am humbled by everyone’s generosity and support. This obviously would not be possible without your support. You truly made a difference this Christmas in this community. Thank you.
I hope you enjoy the attached photos.
Merry Christmas!
With Christmas right around the corner, it is once again time to begin preparing for the Fourth Ward Christmas Toy Drive. Thanks to everyone’s generosity and support, last year’s toy drive at the Rose of Sharon Church was an overwhelming success. (Below is a recap and attached are photos.) We set the bar high last year and would like to go big again. This is a wonderful event, and sometimes the parents are more touched than the kids. These gifts may be one of the only gifts these kids receive for Christmas.
This year will look different with COVID, but we still plan on hosting the toy drive. We will move it outside and structure it so it’s more of a grab-and-go type of event without the festivities. The toy drive will be held at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church (1106 Valentine). We have not set the date yet, but I will send another email once the date has been confirmed.
I have been blessed to know so many generous people and know that we all support various causes, yet have limited resources. If you’re able, please consider making a donation, either through the GoFundMe link below, check or cash. If you would like your donation to be tax deductible, please make the check payable to Rose of Sharon Missionary Baptist Church and send it to me at 1300 Post Oak Blvd, STE 1650, Houston, TX 77056. Any excess funds from this event will be donated to the church. Alternatively, if you would like to donate a gift, that would be great also. Even if you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this with your network. If you wish to donate, the deadlines for collections are outlined below:
Monetary Donations – Monday, November 30th. Check, Cash or GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/houston039s-fourth-ward-christmas-toy-drive-2020
Unwrapped Gift – Wednesday, December 9th. Please note the age range and gender on the gift.
Wrapped Gift – Wednesday, December 16th. Please note the age range and gender on the gift.
Toy donations may be delivered to my office. For those of you that would like to help with gift transportation or gift wrapping, please let me know so that we can coordinate.
Thank you and many blessings.
Derick
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25
But don’t forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God. Hebrews 13:16
Take care of God’s needy people and welcome strangers into your home. Romans 12:13
If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated. Luke 6:38
Generosity will be rewarded: Give a cup of water, and you will receive a cup of water in return. Proverbs 11:25
Caring for the poor is lending to the Lord, and you will be well repaid. Proverbs 19:17
2019 RECAP
Friends,
Despite the cold, rainy weather, the Christmas toy drive was a tremendous success. We served well in excess of 100 kids and families. The kids had a great time running around and spraying each other (and the firemen) with silly string, playing in the fire truck, eating snow cones / shaved ice, getting their faces painted, and playing in the bounce house. As hectic of an event as it is, I did get a chance to speak to two mothers who told to me they had no money to buy their kids for anything for Christmas, and this toy drive was a Christmas miracle for them. I’m sure they weren’t the only ones.
Together we raised $26,304, nearly three times what we raised last year! We spent $22,269, and the remaining $4,035 was donated to the church. Reverend Elmo Johnson is deeply involved in his neighborhood, the Fourth Ward, and he and the church do so much for those residents. Here are links to the Rose of Sharon church and Uplift 4th Ward, an organization through which Reverend Johnson does much of his work.
http://www.uplift4thward.org/home.html
https://www.roseofsharon4thward.org/default.html
With the funds we raised, we were able to provide:
--283 top-tier toys. We received a 15% discount at Learning Express which really helped us stretch our funds. Toys included play dough, art easels, action figures, slinkys, nerf guns, GI Joes, pogo sticks, dancing Mickey Mouses, sound books, books, drawing pads, bow and arrow sets, unicorns, nail pedicure/manicure sets, trucks and cars, car tracks, hot wheels, drum sets, puzzles, sound puzzles, lava lamps, magnetic tiles, Legos, small trampolines, kids camping tents, dart boards, footballs, basketballs, scooters, small basketball goals, Little Tikes sit-in cars, plus much more.
--12 Xbox and 13 Nintendo Switch gaming consoles with two games each
--58 bikes, most with a squeaky horn and tire pump. We received a 10% discount at Academy.
--16 tricycles
--11 articles of clothing
--20 Dominos pizzas
--Plenty of snacks and beverages
--A face painter
--A balloon twister
--A bounce house
--Kona Ice snow cones
--“Lucky” $2 bills for every kid
Additionally, 136 toys and 16 pieces of jewelry were donated prior to the toy drive. Even more were donated on Friday at the toy drive. The Houston Fire Department attended and spent a lot of time hanging out with the kids and showing them the fire truck.
Revered Johnson preached the Sunday following the toy drive about the birth of Jesus and how Joseph did the right thing in taking Mary as his wife, and that we should also focus on doing the right thing. In this case, I believe that means sharing our blessings and helping others. I am humbled by everyone’s generosity and support. This obviously would not be possible without your support. You truly made a difference this Christmas in this community. Thank you.
I hope you enjoy the attached photos.
Merry Christmas!
Organizer
Derick Craig
Organizer
Lamar Terrace, TX