Christmas Toys to be Collected for Helene Victims

By Damon Stone,
Staff Writer

Scottsville First United Methodist Church will be teaming up with Chuck Bennett and the Dollar General Corporation to collect toys from the Dollar General warehouse.

Gifts this year will be collected and gifted to families affected by Hurricane Helene in Tennessee and North Carolina.

“In the past, I’d give them to the Allen County Primary Center (Parent Teacher Organization),” Bennet recalled. “We work with the family resource in the schools, and we give a lot of toys to them, and we give away a lot of toys at the Scottsville First United Methodist Church.”

Bennett has partnered with the Dollar General Corporation and Scottsville First United Methodist Church for 25 years, distributing toys donated to him by the corporation, along with volunteers donating toys as well, with an “outpouring of love,” coming in from the community.

“Sammy Cook and a group from White Plains Baptist Church had been taking food and going to Erwin, Tenn., to the Love Chapel Christian Church,” Bennett explained.

Bennett had made contact with Cook, and asked if it would be alright with the pastor at Love Chapel Christian Church, C.J. Zettlemoyer, if they would be able to receive toys.

“On December 18, they are going to have a parade dressed up like Bible characters at Christmas, and they have that parade every year,” Bennett said. “He said that it would be an excellent time to show up with a bunch of toys to give out to kids.”

Reverend Ashley Tackett-Evans, the senior pastor at the church, helps to oversee the event, and the church’s involvement.

“For the last few years, we’ve collected them and not distributed them at our church like they have done in previous years, but we’ve partnered with other organizations in Allen County, or with this year, different states to distribute those,” Tackett-Evans explained.

Bennett explained that he receives a great deal of help and support in his endeavors from community members, and his family, including Sandy Cook, trucks from Russell Mills, Taylor Bennett, his son, and Gail Bennett, his wife.

“It’s a combined effort from a lot of different people around here to actually make it work,” Bennett expressed.

Bennett explained that over the years, he has seen who has needed toys the most during the season.

“As a church, we recognize that the greatest gift that we’ve received is Jesus, which, of course, we celebrate his birth during Christmas, and his command to us as followers of Jesus is to care for those who are in need, and this historic once-in-a-lifetime event of Hurricane Helene, just devastated communities and families,” Tackett-Evans expressed.

Tackett-Evans elaborated that by doing this donation, it allows the community to share a bit of light and hope in the season.

“Offering the gift of Christmas to communities that are hurting is important for us to do at this time of year,” Tackett-Evans added.

Bennett explained that the toys are picked up on December 16, and that if anyone wants to donate any new toys, they need to be donated by December 10.

“(Toys) are not a priority right now at all, I mean, that’s probably the last thing that’s on those people’s minds,” Bennett said. “A tornado or something hits a home or a community, there’s a lot of stuff you could pick up and still salvage, but with this flood that went through there, it just took the house off the foundation, and everything with it.”

Bennett expressed that the toys represent bringing hope and joy to those affected, and some resemblance of normality.

“For some children that have lost everything they’ve got, it’d be nice to wake up around Christmas and have a bunch of toys,” Bennett added.

Bennett expressed that Allen County is a compassionate and giving community that gives and looks out for others.

“I think it’s always a reminder that we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves, and even a small act like giving a gift that can bring so much joy and hope to our world and just living beyond ourselves,” Tackett-Evans explained. “Serving and giving to others reminds us that we belong to one another, and that we can work to encourage and bring hope and joy and love to someone’s life who really needs to experience that.”