The Phelon family has always been passionate about supporting children.
The Toy for Joy Christmas campaign has given them a way to reach more young people than ever before, while keeping alive the spirit and memory of a woman who helped lay the foundation for her family.
“My dad (Jack) started donating to Toy for Joy in 2020. He was an avid reader of The Republican and saw in the paper that the drive was in danger of missing its goal,” says Laura Phelon , whose father and family recently. gave a generous $1,200 to the 2024 campaign.
With the December 24 deadline for the 2024 campaign fast approaching, the drive’s $150,000 goal is once again in urgent need of support from individuals, businesses and organizations. No donation is too big or too small, and every dollar will go toward books and toys for deserving children in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.
Laura explains the Westfield family tradition, she says, because her father is very modest and, she says, “camera shy.” But his is a story worth telling.
“In 2020, Dad asked me and my (four) siblings, all adults, if instead of buying us gifts, he would give the money to Toy for Joy. It was a way to remember his sister and obviously all five of us were fine with it,” Laura Phelon said.
They continue to do so to honor Jack’s sister, Mary Phelon, who died at age 68 in 2018. Mary had no children, but she loved Christmas and was generous with her large family during the holidays.
“She was the most selfless person we ever met. She was also very involved with the community, with the Hampden County 4-H Fair, Special Olympics and the Westfield Fair,” Laura Phelon said. “And my father, he is a very involved father who also has six grandchildren. Maybe that’s why he also wants to help these children (Toy for Joy),” continued Laura.
“She still buys presents for her grandchildren, but we are all happy for the contribution to Toy for Joy.”
Toy for Joy couponThe Republican, file
Now in its 102nd year as one of the region’s longest unbroken traditions, Toy for Joy is sponsored by the Salvation Army. The organization’s outposts in Springfield, Holyoke and Greenfield are in the process of distributing toys, games and books to deserving children who might otherwise be left out of the joy of receiving Christmas presents.
Salvation Army officials estimate that about 1,600 families and 3,500 to 4,000 children from the Springfield location alone will benefit from a boost that depends on the generosity of individuals, businesses and agencies throughout the region.
Help has come from many sources. Link to Libraries, a Hampden-based nonprofit, donated 1,000 books to the Toy for Joy campaign.
Link to Libraries especially promotes reading and literacy for children who would otherwise not have easy access to the joy of reading and learning. Literacy growth has been an essential component of the Toy for Joy campaign for many, many years.
Toy for Joy is promoted and advertised by The Republican, Reminder Publishing, MassLive and El Pueblo Latino. All contributions will be acknowledged and published in The Republican and Reminder Publications, and online by MassLive.com.
The campaign has the support of individual and collective volunteers. Among them are Eversource, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Office and ROVI Homes of Western Mass., a technologically advanced real estate agency based in Agawam.
A coupon posted with Toy for Joy stories can be used to mail a contribution to The Republican, 1860 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103. Donations sent this week and received after the deadline will be accepted of December 24.
Donors can also make contributions online at https://give.salvationarmy.org/give/212002/#!/donation/checkout.
Campaign time is running out, but it’s not too late to support the children and families of the Pioneer Valley who count.
“My father wanted to keep his sister’s memory alive and he also wanted to give back to the kids,” Laura Phelon said. “That’s what Toy for Joy is all about.”