First Meridian Mortgage is an Official Drop off for Toys for Tots
First Meridian Mortgage is proud help to be an Official Toys for Tots Drop off and collection site for new, unwrapped toys for the 2023 holiday season. The Toys for Tots program is ran by the Marine Corps Reserve foundation.
About Toys for Tots –
Toys for Tots, a 74-year national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, provides happiness, and hope to less fortunate children during each Christmas holiday season. The toys, books, and other gifts collected and distributed by our Marines and volunteers during the Christmas season offer these children recognition, confidence, and a positive memory for a lifetime. Toys for Tots also provides support year-round to less fortunate families experiencing challenges and exceptional circumstances, thus sending a message of hope beyond the holiday season. It is such experiences that help children become responsible citizens and caring members of their community. Last year, the Marine Toys for Tots Program fulfilled the holiday hopes and dreams of 7.4 million less fortunate children in over 800 communities nationwide. Since 1947, over 272 million children have been assisted. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not-for-profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. For more information, please visit www.toysfortots.org.
Drop Off location :
First Meridian Mortgage
c/o Toy for Tots
8305 Richmond Hwy 12A
Alexandria VA 22309
Link to other drop off sites
My personal Connection to Toys for Tots
In 1986, at the age of 18, I found myself stationed at the 8th and I Marine Barracks. On a special assignment, I served as the driver for a 5-ton cargo truck, dressed in my sharp Dress Blues, heading to the Mad Hatter to represent the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. Spending a few hours at the event, I collected around 50-60 toys, which seemed pretty cool to me at the time. It’s important to note that, being just 18, I was still a kid myself.
It wasn’t until the end of the night, when I backed the truck up to the warehouse for unloading, that the true impact of our efforts hit me. With the help of another Marine, we opened the warehouse doors, and to my surprise, I saw a towering mountain of toys, reaching about 40 to 50 feet high. It was then that I realized the significant difference we were making in bringing joy to countless kids on Christmas day.
While I understood that some Toys for Tots runs were mandatory, many, like mine, were volunteered. The experience was profound, and as an 18-year-old, I couldn’t express enough the joy it brought me to be part of such a meaningful program.
Now, as a Marine and a proud veteran running my own business, I am honored to be an official Drop Off location for the Toys for Tots Program. I urge everyone to consider contributing by dropping off or sending a new, unwrapped toy—it’s a small gesture that can make a big difference in a child’s life.
Kevin Retcher