The Penn Township Police held their seventh annual “Stuff-A-Truck” event during which they asked the community to donate new, unwrapped toys to support local families who need some help this holiday season. The response was overwhelming, with some groups contributing handmade toys - the Wood Chippers built doll beds, doll high chairs, wooden cars, planes, dinosaurs, and other toys, while the Q-Pals, Busy Hands Sewing Group, and Loyalhanna Quilt Group made dolls and doll bedding. Penn-Trafford students also donated toys to the cause. In all, the effort collected more than a thousand toys, as well as gifts for teenage students, which filled an entire classroom at Penn-Trafford High School.
The Penn-Trafford High School nurse’s aides and students in the Community Action Program and National Honor Society organized all of the gifts and helped stuff the police truck.
In early December, the toys and gifts were distributed to Penn-Trafford families in need, as well as nearby churches with holiday programs and Toys for Tots. Families who were recipients of the toys and gifts were incredibly grateful.
In addition to the police collection, Penn-Trafford staff filled 72 wishes of middle and high school students who are experiencing economic hardship.
The Wood Chippers donated many handmade, wooden toys: (left to right) Joseph Merante, Ron Shiner, Mike Hermsen, Stan Rudge, and Jim Costlow
Members of the Penn Township Police join Penn-Trafford students to sort and organize the donations
A Penn-Trafford classroom was filled with toy donations