The sprawling piles of toys and books are gone.

And Jeff Ham is nervous.

The hard-working operations manager of the Press Herald Toy Fund was busy Tuesday in the mostly empty workshop, counting up the remaining bags of gifts and comparing the depleted inventory with lists of families scheduled to make pick ups in the coming days.

“It’s going to be close.”

Ham has been keeping track of the gift list and inventory for weeks after it became clear that the 75-year-old fund was seeing a surge of requests for help from struggling families this year.

Ham quickly got permission from the Toy Fund’s board of directors to exceed the budget and then submitted a second round of toy and book orders.

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But, by the application deadline, parents had asked for gifts for more than 4,000 children. The total number last year was a little less than 3,000. And that increased demand is on top of the strain felt because of the increased cost of toys and books over the last several years – the same inflation pressures driving so many families to seek help.

Meanwhile, grateful parents have been arriving at the workshop in South Portland for weeks to pick up the gifts for their children, all of which are purchased with donations from readers. The last pickups are scheduled for this weekend.

No child will be left out. Ham and his army of volunteers will make sure of that, even if it means they have to make some last-minute shopping trips this week.

Meanwhile, the need for donations from readers is as critical as ever.

Donations are slightly behind last year at this time, although it is too early to know if the fundraising will cover the costs of  gifts this year or how large the deficit might be.

The Toy Fund will figure that out after every child is served.

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TODAY’S DONATIONS:

Anonymous       $100

Mark Stodder and Muna Shehadi Sill    $100

Kevin and Jane Doyle    $500

Anonymous     $50.00

So glad to help children in Maine enjoy Christmas                          Sabra Mumford                $100

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Molly Morell       $500

Patricia Buttner                $100

Michael Curci   $100

Candace Litchfield        $100

In memory of Bill Farrington                       Cheryl Farrington                 $100

In memory of Susan J. Stevens. We miss you and love you so much, Dad, Mom, Rick, Eric, Tim                             Richard and Jean Stevens     $100

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Edward and Nina Comiskey      $100

In memory of Rosie                         Robert and Margaret Curry                 $100

James and Elizabeth Maier        $50

Diane and Carl Walp     $75

Ron and Carol Beyna    $100

Anonymous       $100

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Jon and Marjorie Oxman              $100

In loving memory of Fedora Nicol, who loved all children                 Louise Griffin    $50

Jamien Jacobs and Gregg Raymond      $200

Gaston Lee        $50

Anonymous       $500

Anonymous       $500

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In honor of Clara and Emma                      Rachel Olson    $100

Richard McGoldrick      $500

Merry Xmas                        Carol Poirier and Michelle McClure                 $50

Anonymous       $500

Dick and Andrea Hall    $150

Phyllis Libby      $50

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In the name of the Lachance children, love always, Mom                 Elsie Foley          $150

Thomas Hickey                $75

In memory of Deborah Paine                     The Koster Family                 $50

Francis and Jean Fox     $100

Bruce and Lorraine Hirdler         $100

Elaine Biddle    $2

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Anita and John Colpitts                $50

Anonymous       $25

Lawrence Clough           $50

Anonymous       $25

Nancy Caldwell               $50

Lois and Paul Berg          $200

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Merry Christmas to the children, in honor of Ethan and Owen                     Linda Daley       $50

Anonymous       $75

Anonymous       $30

Alan Willemsen                $200

In memory of Tom                            Fred Haley          $50

In memory of Mom, Dad, Robin and Karen                          Fred Haley    $300

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Connie and Michael Beck           $350

In memory of Beulah Green, Alan Goddard and Norma Coughlin, with love                         Rhonda and Ron Green                 $100

In loving memory of Alan Argondizza, from his family                    Maizie Argondizza           $200

Anonymous       $50

In memory of my Aunt Frances T. Dooley, who was always so kind and generous to her nephews!                       John Dooley                 $400

In honor of Matt Barron                Mark Roy             $200

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For their love of kids … Gram, Papa, Grammy D. and Tom                                  Patricia Axelsen               $200

Carole Logan    $100

From Cassie, Haylee and Jamison          Robert O’Donnell                 $100

In loving memory of my parents and loving memory of my sister-in-law, Joyce                         Suzanne Nelson                   $100

In loving memory of Mom and Dad and sister Joyce                       Michael Nelson                $75

In memory of a mother’s love, GTW       Anonymous       $150

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Tracy Harrington              $200

Lynn Bak              $950

TOTAL TO DATE: $112,044.60


HOW TO HELP

To make a donation online, go to pressherald.com/toy-fund.

Checks made out to the Portland Press Herald Toy Fund may be mailed to 295 Gannett Drive, South Portland ME 04106.

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Names of donors are published in the Press Herald unless a donor wishes to remain anonymous.

 

 

 

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