This Local Woman is Collecting “Toys 4 Our Town” to Give to Families in Need
by James Coulter
Christmas is right around the corner. Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?
Sadly, many families are unable to afford gifts for the holidays. That’s why one local woman works tirelessly to collect Christmas presents for families in need.
Every December, Melanie Brown Culpepper hosts Toys 4 Our Town to collect and distribute holiday gifts for children and families in Winter Haven. Last year alone saw more than 1,100 donations.
Melanie was inspired to start the toy drive eight years ago after participating in a toy drive that distributed the collected gifts outside of Winter Haven, but not within the city itself.
“I didn’t like the fact that the toys were being sent to places that nobody knew where they were going, and I wanted to make sure that kids right here in our town were being taken care of, so I decided to start my own [toy drive] right here,” she said.
Old Man Franks will be collecting donations at its Bad Santa party on Fri. Dec. 19 starting at 7 PM. Additional toy drop-off locations will be at Melanie’s Cutting Edge, Gary’s Grove, Jessie’s Lounge, Somewhere Sports Bar, and Twisted Prop Bar & Grille.
Melanie recently appeared on the Chattin on the Ridge podcast to discuss Toys 4 Our Town. Listen to the full episode on Acast: https://shows.acast.com/chattin-on-the-ridge/episodes/ep-74-toys-4-our-town-wmelanie-brown-culpepper
