During the holiday season, many Athens businesses hold annual holiday drives, aiming to support those in need by collecting donations ranging from toys to canned goods.
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office hosts Joy of Toys, a donation drive focused on providing toys to families in need.
Families with children between 2 and 13 who do not already receive assistance can apply to receive toys.
Deputy Sheriff Jayson White has organized the event for the past four years.
“Everything is donation-driven,” White said. “Year-round, we are out seeking donations in any way we can. We have raffles, we have chili cookoffs.”
Joy of Toys is scheduled for Dec. 14 at the Athens Walmart in the Lawn and Garden Center and local school districts will announce specific times.
“Walmart does not technically donate toys, but they let us use their facility,” White said. “We have the whole event there.”
White said the drive helps about 450 kids annually, equating to 200 or more families.
“It’s been pretty consistent -- the same numbers every year,” White said.
White said economic changes and rising prices have not deterred people from donating.
“There are so many great people in Athens County that still come out and donate, which we have gotten more donations, not just toys, but monetary donations every year,” White said. “People are definitely out to help.”
White said the Sheriff’s Office strives to make the Joy of Toys drive memorable. Participants don’t simply receive their toy and leave; it is a bigger production.
“We try to make it an enjoyable experience -- we have food, we have Santa Claus, we have decorations,” White said. “(My favorite thing is) just to see how gracious and thankful people are for the whole thing, and they come in and out of it with a positive outlook on it.”
The Athena Cinema, located at 20 S. Court St., hosts its annual Holiday Film Series every December. For twelve years, the theater has paired with the festival for a month-long canned food donation drive.
Throughout December, the Athena Cinema screens holiday classics, but instead of a traditional ticket, attendees donate a canned good or make a small monetary donation to gain entry.
Alexandra Kamody, director of the Athena Cinema, said the theater had three main goals in launching the drive: boosting traffic to the uptown area during winter break, offering an affordable entertainment option and supporting the Athens Food Pantry to raise funds and collect food.
Kamody said the drive raised 7,449 pounds of food, $6,167 and entertained 5,821 people.
She said the Athena Cinema supports the Athens Food Pantry to ensure the donations benefit the local community.
“The Athena has been here on Court Street since 1915, for over a hundred years,” Kamody said. “The Athens community is a really big part of what the Athena is and the heart of the Athena, so we really wanted to give back to the community.”
At the end of each semester, Ohio University dorms also accept donations of unopened, non-perishable food items and other essential goods, such as clothing and household items.
Jillian Phillips, associate director of residence life, said all halls have at least one bin in their lobby. For the Wray Complex, the bins are on the ground level of each building.
She also reminded students that these bins are for donations, not for trash.
“It makes it hard for the teams to sort out the items and sometimes contaminates items beyond use,” Phillips wrote.
The Office of Sustainability organized the initiative, partnering with Cat’s Cupboard to ensure the donations are sorted and delivered to the appropriate sources.
“We believe in sustainability and giving back to the community,” Phillips said. “The donation bins help us do that while also helping students get rid of unwanted items.”
