Toys for Tots program looking at year-round effort

Elmer Mansfield's objective is to expand the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program to collect and distribute new toys to children who are victims of disasters and desperate situations, year-round.

As a Toys for Tots coordinator, Mansfield typically gets community groups involved in collecting toys early in the Christmas holiday season.

As part of the Marine Corps League Detachment 1081 serving Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Mississippi, New Madrid and Scott counties, Mansfield and other Marines collected, purchased and distributed 10,573 toys in 2006, almost doubling 2005's numbers. Mansfield's method in reaching more children developed from his contact with the directors at the Division of Family Services at Scott, New Madrid and Mississippi counties. This enabled him to tap into the resource of caseworkers, who already knew the needs of children they were assigned to help.

Mansfield's first experience as coordinator in 2006 caused him to realize that the mission to find sponsors and children who are in disadvantaged situations year-round, was necessary.

Shortly after the Christmas season, Mansfield learned about a disastrous fire in the Bootheel.

"In January, we visited a Caruthersville family who, due to a house fire, lost everything, including the lives of a pair of twins, Alexis and Bradley Johnson," Mansfield said.

The 15-month-old twins were asleep in the bedroom where firefighters found the blaze concentrated.

"We delivered four bicycles to the family. The children were so happy." The survivors ares residing with other family members.

Situations like these and other disaster situations arise when children are found without toys or things that keep them hopeful for the future.

When disaster strikes, adults respond by replacing essential items -- filling needs that will take them back to some normal semblance of life. A microwave, blankets, dishes and clothes. Important documents usually take an investment of multiple phone calls and face-to-face visits to replace. Toys are not a top priority -- especially if adults are overwhelmed and inundated with taking care of business.

As a licensed clinical social worker, registered play therapist and owner of Tender Hearts Child Therapy Center, Debbie Homier believes toys are valuable, especially in traumatic situations.

"Children need toys to provide stimulation, education and use of their imagination. During a time of disaster, children especially need toys in order to use them as an escape from or distraction from their reality," she said. "Children can process the trauma and work through this in their play. If children are overly and repeatedly aggressive in their play, or if their play has a tone of hopelessness to it, then a child may need to be involved in counseling with a children's therapist."

And the younger a child is, it seems, the more essential toys are.

Dana Branson of the Family Counseling Center believes the reason for this is because school-age children are stimulated with toys and the challenges of being at school. She explained that without toys, children can fall prey to learned helplessness and chronic apathy. When they're used to not being stimulated they will struggle with a lack of ambition later in life.

Mansfield is working toward a foolproof method that will avoid duplication of applications for the Christmas season, which will include an earlier deadline and financial statement.

Mansfield's plans to promote awareness of the year-round toy program include networking with the American Red Cross and county fire marshals. Anyone wishing to help may contact Mansfield at (573) 380-2187.