Christmas In July: Essex County Toys For Tots Families In Need Sought

BEVERLY, MA — Even as the deadline for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign last Christmas season passed, the donations kept coming, and coming, and coming.

With two shipping containers full of toys at the year-round Beverly Veterans Affairs office, the office, along with Beverly Vietnam Veterans, Beverly Public Schools and the USMC Reserve Command, are hosting a Christmas in July event to help lift the summer spirits of area children in need while clearing the containers for the next holiday season donation drive.

"We were receiving boxes and boxes of toys from people who had donations and couldn't do anything with them," Beverly Veterans Affairs Agent David Perinchief told Patch. "So we thought this would be a good chance to drop some of that load so when we start doing the Christmas drive we have room."

While toy donations are accepted year-round, Perinchief said the current objective is to find families to apply to receive the toys this summer.

Families from throughout Essex County with a demonstrated need will be accommodated up to 300 children. Those children will then be invited to the office at 93 Herrick Street where they will be presented with one gift toy that matches their wish list as closely as possible.

"We're going to try our best to get the kids what they want," Perinchief said. "We have everything separated by age group now. We want to keep it as gifty as possible."

Families interested should contact Perinchief at dperinchief@beverlyma.gov and a link will be sent for them to register. Families then must provide a "proof of need" that could include an EBT card, public housing lease, letter from Beverly Bootstraps, fuel bill showing a low-income rate, or certified enrollment in a Veterans Affairs Chapter 115 program.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)