what do you need to sign up for toys for tots
Parents hoping for a little Christmas help from Toys for Tots volition take to register in advance in person, prove their income and provide ii form of identification for each child, the program'south coordinator announced earlier this calendar month, prompting another nonprofit leaders to question the spirit of the program.
The preregistration is intended to brand the distribution of the toys go more smoothly, said Gunnery Sergeant Christopher Stoudemeyer.
" One of the practiced issues nosotros have is: the families will show up, everybody wants to be the first one in line, and you end upwardly waiting in line for four or v hours. In lodge to preclude that, nosotros're actually going to event time slots this twelvemonth," he said.
He also said the income and identification requirements are intended to ensure that only those who "deserve and need" help are getting it.
" We're condign significantly more strict on the qualification procedure this year, so the needy benefit, instead of the greedy," said Stoudemeyer. "Ninety-ix percent of the people that show upward are the ones that deserve and need the help. We're simply trying to forbid those that are kinda milking the system from getting over on us. We had some issues terminal year where individuals came and claimed to accept twins and stuff like that, and they walked with probably xx-25 toys; and the next day, they were on the buy/sell/trade websites for Facebook. And then we have identified those individuals and they're on the practice-not-participate-this-yr list."
Anyone in Dane or Jefferson County who wants to request a toy from Toys for Tots will take to go to the Salvation Army, 3030 Darbo Drive on Madison's East Side, betwixt October 30 and November 10, between 10 am and 2 pm weekdays or between 6 pm and 8 pm Thursdays. They must bring a filled out application in addition to the following:
- Government-issued photo ID
- Proof of current address (such as a utility bill)
- Proof of income (such equally WIC documentation, check stubs, or terminal year's taxation render)
- Two forms of ID for each child (such as nascence certificate, Social Security Card, photo ID, school enrollment forms, Can forms or passport)
Most other Toys of Tots programs effectually the country crave photograph ID for parents and a nativity certificate for each kid.
Stoudemeyer said the plan uses the aforementioned income standards as Wisconsin'southward Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program , significant a household of four must prove annual income below $45,510. Stoudemeyer said the program has always had that limitation, but this year proof of income will be required for the first time.
Toys for Tots also requires families non to be registered for any other similar programs.
"We're gonna practice a lot better job this time checking to make sure you're not double-borer with Empty Stocking and and so walking over," he said. He said Toys for Tots will non share the identity of the families it serves with other agencies, and other agencies too told Madison365 they practice not share the names of families they serve.
Stoubemeyer also said two forms of ID were required concluding year besides, but people brought them on the day of distribution beforehand. He said "a large number" provided the required documentation.
"We try not to plough anybody abroad, but we prefer that you go through the appropriate process," he said.
Stoudemeyer thinks the requirements volition not place an undue burden on poor families.
"I don't call back it's difficult to have a nativity certificate for your child," Stoudemeyer said. "Do I think it's difficult to have the school print out a form, maxim that your child is attending the school? No, I don't think that's difficult. Do I call up information technology's hard to become whatever other form with your child's full proper name and date of nascence on information technology? No, I do not believe that'due south hard. If the question you're asking me, if I recollect getting those forms that should be usually accessible is hard? My reply to you is no, I don't think that should be difficult."
He also said he'south given aplenty time for people to plan to come to register.
"I call back we've done the best that we could practice in order to beget the opportunity for everybody to exist there," he said. "I am hoping nosotros are not excluding anyone. I mean that could be a case by case ground just I remember this is a solid programme, and enough hours, and enough timeframe, with enough heads up to gather these documents. Registration is October xxx and I posted this Oct two."
But nonprofit leaders who run similar programs discover the new requirements onerous and potentially embarrassing.
"The Toys for Tots programme has progressively gotten more and more inaccessible to people," said substance abuse counselor and community leader Jacquelyn Hunt, who partners with a number of local agencies and businesses to provide gifts for the children of her agency's clients. "If you're homeless and all your papers is in a pocketbook in somebody's storage, you know what I'm saying? I'thou just maxim it could exist a real hardship who actually rely on the programs the well-nigh."
" The whole ID thing for kids just kind of throws me," said Linda Ketcham, executive director of Madison-Area Urban Ministry, which runs a souvenir program for its clients. "I merely don't get it. We don't enquire when someone signs up for any of our programs. You're coming to us, you're trusting u.s. with your story to provide some assist, and that'southward all nosotros need to know."
She as well sees an result with requiring income verification.
"Permit's find one more than way to stigmatize and demean someone," she said. "Let'southward make certain y'all're really poor."
" Information technology sounds similar they're targeting a specific grouping of people who may or may non exist able to provide that type of documentation for their kids," Chase said. "I think it's merely some doggone Christmas toys. Let the doggone babies be happy."
" Information technology merely kind of feels like 1 more step toward more than authoritarian and more than punitive," Ketcham said. "How is that representative of the spirit of that season? It seems similar pretty lamentable commentary on where nosotros are equally a country, in terms of the discrepancy of who we say we are and who nosotros actually are."
This article has been updated to right the dates of the sign-up menses, which concluded November 10.
Source: https://madison365.com/toys-tots-now-requires-person-preregistration-two-forms-id-child/
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