Better Together announces holiday toy drive to support families in need

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Nov. 15, 2023 - PRLog -- Better Together, a nonprofit dedicated to families and children, is seeking Christmas gifts to distribute to families in need across the state of Florida.

Every year, with the support of generous donors, Better Together provides Christmas gifts to the families it serves. This year, that includes Southwest Florida, Sarasota/Manatee, greater Tampa Bay, Ocala and Northeast Florida. The nonprofit is now accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys for children 0-17 years old. Items of greatest need include toys for younger children and gift cards for older children.

"Many families are struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over their children's heads, and the holidays can present additional challenges and stress," said Megan Rose, CEO of Better Together. "Many parents simply can't provide their children with the Christmas they desperately want to, and our toy drive can ease this burden and allow every child to wake up to a present on Christmas."

Better Together is collecting donations at more than a dozen drop-off locations across the state. Toys will be distributed to vetted, hardworking families within Better Together's programs. For the latest list of participating locations, visit BetterTogetherUS.org/Christmas-Toy-Drive. The deadline to donate toys to impact families in the greater Tampa Bay and Ocala regions is Dec. 6. The deadline to donate toys for families in Southwest Florida and the Sarasota area is Dec. 13.

Volunteers can also sign up to be a Christmas family sponsor. A family sponsor is connected to a specific family in need of support this holiday season. They fill the family's wish list and deliver the gifts directly to the family. The deadline to sign up is Dec. 20 at BetterTogetherUS.org/Give-Help.

To learn more about Better Together and its mission, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.

ABOUT BETTER TOGETHER

Better Together is a nonprofit organization that helps parents going through a hard time keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive. Through the Better Families program, families are offered a preventive alternative to foster care while they get the help they need. To date, the program has kept 98% of children served out of foster care. The Better Jobs program was created to address the 76% of families that come to Better Together because of economic hardship tied to unemployment. In addition to community job fairs, the program offers job seekers coaching, guidance, support and encouragement through local church partners. For more information, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.