Chuck’s Produce has been involved in many volunteer holiday toy drives in the past, and this year their haul will be all local.
Chuck’s has teamed up with Santa’s Posse to collect and distribute toys to less fortunate families exclusively in Clark County.
New unwrapped toys, hats, gloves, coats or socks can be dropped off at Chuck’s on Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard and in Salmon Creek until 10 a.m. Friday. The distribution day is scheduled for Dec. 20.
Korey Wilder, manager of the Chuck’s store on Mill Plain, said in order to keep volunteers safe from COVID-19 spread, one to three volunteers at a time have been working over shorter periods of time — all with social distancing in mind — to sort the donations as they come in.
The pandemic environment hasn’t slowed down donations.
“Our customers have been just as generous as folks have always been,” Wilder said.
Santa’s Posse has more than 1,000 volunteers to help with distribution to 1,200 families this year. It will be a touchless delivery this year, and more help is needed for the delivery day event. All volunteers are also asked to wear face covering and maintain social distancing.
The delivery day event begins at 8 a.m. Dec. 20 at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds.
Help is needed in putting gifts and food boxes in vehicles. A volunteer sign-up is available at santasposse.com/events.
Donations can also be dropped off at the Clark County sheriff’s offices in Vancouver, 707 W. 13th St., and Ridgefield, 505 N.W. 179th St., along with Clark County Fire District 6, 8800 N.E. Hazel Dell Ave., in Vancouver. Also, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, the Santa’s Posse Food & Toy Drop is taking place at the event center at the fairgrounds.
