COLTS NECK – Donations of gifts for the children of deployed military personnel will be accepted at Colts Neck Town Hall, 124 Cedar Drive, until Dec. 11.
Colts Neck is participating in Project Little Soldier, which is organized by American Recreational Military Services (ARMS), a New Jersey based 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity that relies solely on charitable donations to support the nation’s men and women in uniform, and to provide direct support to the nation’s military families and veterans in need, according to a press release.
Ronnie Micciulla, the founder and executive director of ARMS, said the toy drive began in 2001 following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
Since its inception, Project Little Soldier has provided gifts for the children of deployed members of the armed forces.
Children of military personnel have made a wish, placed it on a star and the stars are displayed in Town Hall. Community members are asked to select a wish and return the unwrapped gift with the wish star attached by Dec. 11.
In 2001, members of the New Jersey National Guard 253rd Transportation Company from Cape May were going to be away from home during the holidays. ARMS members decided to buy toys for the National Guard members’ children and that effort evolved into Project Little Soldier, according to the press release.
Today, Project Little Soldier collects donations for families from all branches of the military, for currently deployed service members and for veterans.
Micciulla said the hardest age group to purchase gifts for is children between the ages of 11 and 16.
“People love to buy baby dolls and toy trucks” for younger children, “but most children (from 11 to 16) are mostly looking for gift cards,” Micciulla said.
Micciulla said support has been waning in recent years.
“When we came off Sept. 11, there were people lining up asking how they could help and when we first deployed soldiers to war everyone was on the bandwagon.
“Unfortunately, we are really begging and it never used to be like that because people forget we still have troops overseas and troops that are going to (deploy). We are not asking people to support war. We ask them to support the warriors and their families,” Micciulla said.
For more information, visit supportarms.org