The Pres Visnyk toy fund continues the 75-year-old holiday tradition

Volunteer Barbie Diaz of Cape Elizabeth, right, and Jeff Ham, operations manager for the Press Herald Toy Fund, sort toys Wednesday for the 2024 Toy Fund at the Press Herald building in South Portland. Michelle McDonald/Photo Editor

SOUTH PORTLAND — For weeks, volunteers at the Portland Press Herald Toy Fund workshop unpacked pallets of toys and books, then filled bags with gifts for families in south and midcoast Maine.

It’s a labor of love for the organizers, volunteers and donors who give of their time and money each year to make sure children have a fun holiday. For 75 years, the charity has used money donated by readers to buy gifts for children of all faiths and backgrounds during the festive season.

“As we celebrate this milestone, I am grateful to Matthew Barron for his compassion and determination to make Christmas dreams come true for the first 911 children who benefited from the fund back in 1949,” said Karen Beaudoin, president of the Toy Fund. board.

“Seventy-five years after he approached the (Portland) Evening Express with his idea to buy toys for children in families on welfare, the Toy Fund serves tens of thousands of children thanks to thousands of generous donors and hundreds of dedicated volunteers. »

Barron, who was assistant director of welfare in Portland in 1949, saw families struggling economically and knew that many children were unlikely to receive Christmas presents. He turned to his friend Robert Bruce Bate, who was then editor of the Portland Evening Express and a local news columnist, for help. And they came up with a simple plan.

Bate, who wrote under the pseudonym Bruce Roberts, asked readers for donations, and Barron used the money to buy toys for needy children. Readers helped them far exceed their fundraising goal of $1,000 by donating $3,903.55, as well as purchasing $500 worth of new toys. Gifts purchased by the foundation that year included 500 dolls, 60 sleds, 100 soccer balls, 1,500 books and 2,500 mechanical toys. Toys were distributed to 1,500 children.

“Those facing what would otherwise be a Santa-less Christmas got some cheer not only in Portland, but also in South Portland, Westbrook, Casco, Scarborough, South Windham, Goreham, Owl’s Head and Wiscasset,” he reported Evening Express at the time. .

Subsequently, the name of Bruce Roberts became synonymous with the annual Toy Fund. When the Evening Express closed in 1990, its sister paper, the Portland Press Herald, carried on the tradition.

Over the past 75 years, the Toy Foundation has provided millions of dollars worth of toys to more than 100,000 children. Last year, gifts were distributed to 2,619 children, and donors donated nearly $200,000 to keep the tradition alive.

The Toy Fund’s long history “shows that need never goes away,” said Jeff Ham, the charity’s operations manager.

“This foundation has great community support that continues year after year,” he said. “We see it in donors who make it part of their holiday season.”

Thanks to these donors, the foundation is able to grow and serve more children in need, Beaudoin said. “I think Matthew Barron would be delighted to see what his dream has turned into,” she said.

To help reach more families in need, volunteers help spread the word in their communities. Toy Fund organizers and boards have focused on building new relationships with social services, schools and other groups that play a critical role in helping families connect with Toy Fund.

“They have been especially helpful in spreading the word about what we are doing to new Maine residents who may not know where to turn for help to make the holiday season more memorable for their children,” Beaudoin said.

Applications for assistance are now open for families from York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Androscoggin counties. The application deadline is Dec. 1, and families will be notified when toys can be picked up at the Press Herald office in South Portland.

To donate online, go to pressherald.com/toy-fund.

For volunteers like John Voyer, those pickup days and their interactions with families are a highlight of the holiday season.

“Obviously, when people show up to get their toy bags, they’re very appreciative,” Woyer said.