Year after year, letters to the Portland Press Herald Toy Fund talk about the breakup of a marriage, and how the emotional and financial strains could deprive deserving children of a reason to smile on Christmas morning.
One such story arrived this year from a mother in southern Maine who asked for help in the midst of an especially painful divorce.
“My soon-to-be ex-husband tried to take our toddler and we ended up fighting and he tried to kill me,” she wrote. He had an emotional breakdown, she explained, and now has a court order to stay away from her and their children.
“Our financial situation has changed and Christmas will be harder for us this year than it has ever been,” she wrote.
Her children will be among the thousands of Maine kids who find presents to unwrap on Christmas morning thanks to readers who support the Toy Fund.
The Portland Press Herald Toy Fund in the Spirit of Bruce Roberts uses donations from readers to buy and distribute toys to families going through all kinds of hardships.
The fund – now in its 67th year – is accepting applications for toys from needy families in Cumberland, York, Sagadahoc, Lincoln and Knox counties.
Applications can be downloaded at pressheraldtoyfund.org.
Call 791-6672 to have one mailed to you.
Donations to help buy the toys can be made on the website or by writing checks to the Portland Press Herald Toy Fund and mailing them to the fund at P.O. Box 7310, Portland, ME 04112.
For more information and to donate online, go to: pressheraldtoyfund.org.
See more stories about the fund at: pressherald.com.
SUNDAY’S TOY FUND DONORS
Merry Christmas! Jim & Kelley Cook $150
The Brown Family $50
Wish it could be more! Art $20
Donated in the name of Kevin Parker $40
In loving memory of Dean Barbalias, my husband and our father $50
Anonymous $50
In memory of Paul $30
Anonymous $20
Happy, happy holidays! Liz & Alice Winfield-Adams $50
In memory of Sean M. Casey, from John, Deb and Conor $100
In memory of Woody Bigelow $100
Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Ed & Claudia Campbell $50
Happy Holidays from the entire Downing family $50
For all the kids that need toys in the world. Steven C. Kenney $20
Merry Xmas! $25
Anonymous $40
Julie R. Blodgett $50
Total to date: $40,270.60
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