The Giving Back Together Toy Drive, now in its sixth year in Greenfield, is expanding to Athol for the first time.
Also for the first time, a fundraiser is being held to benefit the toy drive. It is a soup-and-game night at Hope & Olive, at 44 Hope St. in Greenfield, on Monday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Free soup will be available, plus a bake sale, raffles and drinks.
Heather Taylor, who started the toy drive, remembers that when she was growing up, her parents struggled with alcohol and drug addictions. Some Christmases, there were no presents.
“I just never want another child to have to wake up on Christmas morning thinking the magic of Christmas isn’t real,” she said.
In its first year, the drive gave gifts to about 20 families, Taylor said. Last year, it had enough for about 300.
She hopes to have another successful year, but hasn’t had a lot of donations so far.
“It’s really crunch time, and we really need the community to band together,” she said.
For gift ideas, Taylor recommends toys, clothes and hygiene products. Teenagers are hard to buy gifts for, she said, but gift cards are a good option.
■Greenfield Fire Department, 412 Main St.; open 24 hours a day.
■Sandri Energy, 400 Chapman St., Greenfield; open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
■45 Central St., Turners Falls, on the front porch.
■Athol Fire Department, 2251 Main St.; open 24 hours a day.
■North Quabbin Coalition, 251 Exchange St., Athol; open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
■The Booth Salon, 4 West Main St., Orange; open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday.
■Faith Church, 331 Silver St., Greenfield; Dec. 20 and 21, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
■North Quabbin Recovery Center, 416 Main St., Athol; Dec. 23, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 261.