I hate Walmart.

I hate Walmart -- and if you don't, you haven't been there lately and tried to give them $2,500...

It is crunch time for the CPD Toy Drive.  The icy weather in Dallas put us back a little, but our timing cannot be extended.  The CPS caseworkers must have a few days to deliver the toys to the kids and for some caseworkers "deliver" means dropping off to more than 50 different houses all over Dallas County, packing and unpacking their cars each time.

Anyway, this morning Natalie and I were over at our Peacock Alley Toy Drive warehouse (the kind people at Peacock Alley let us produce the toy drive from their warehouse every year -- I don't know what we'd do with out them) meeting with some great donors from Princess House.  Princess House gave us the most darling children's kitchen stuff -- it is professional quality, but made for children's hands -- fantastic stuff.

Here's a photo of me with the Princess House CEO Connie Tang and a few of their top organizers:  Luz Balderas, Marilu Rodriguez, and Graciela Montes.  We cannot wait to hear about the children who are going to be inspired by this generous gift -- made possible by The Today Show Holiday Toy Drive.

The Peacock Alley warehouse was hopping with donations flowing in from individuals like Mary Taylor, companies like Carrington, Coleman, Sloman, and Blumenthal (who also had a team of employees there volunteering), to big groups like Highland Park United Methodist Church.  Yay, Dallas -- you are doing it for the kiddos!

Anyway, back to Walmart.

As Natalie and I are leaving to head back to the office we get a call from Corinne with an SOS. 

Getting all of the toys in to serve 5,000+ kids with 2 toys each is multi-faceted.  Some people fill wishes, some people just bring in undesignated toys, and some people give money and let us do the shopping.  One of the items we're always short on are bikes. 

There are several reasons for this.  First, they're expensive.  Second, they're bulky and don't fit in your car.  Third, donors don't want to put them together (we have volunteers to do this, so don't let that stop you next year, friends!).  Fourth, the helmet is an additional expense. 

But, we always have lots of requests for bikes.  A bike gives a child a little independence -- and for abused and neglected kids that is super-important.  Believe me, if it wasn't we wouldn't have so many requests for them -- remember, the caseworkers are the ones who make the requests on behalf of the children, and just think about that caseworker having to personally deliver 1 or 2 or 10 or 20 bikes!  If they are willing to go to the trouble, we want to be sure that those kids get bikes if they want one.

So, the SOS from Corinne (who manages our drive and all of our corporate relations) was that the bikes she ordered with Walmart could not be released to the drivers who were picking them up and bringing them to the warehouse because Walmart would not take our credit card over the phone.  STRIKE ONE.

NOTE:  Now I understand this -- it was a $2,500 bike order, but seriously, Corinne had already talked with several managers to get this set up, get our tax ID ready, etc.

Next, we find Natalie and me waiting in the Customer Service line at Walmart.  It is noon.  One person is helping people in the long line.  One person.  STRIKE TWO.

All we need is someone to page our contact person to tell her we're there so we can pay, but we are waiting in line.  We finally stop someone who looks like a manager (he's wearing a headphone communication set) and I ask him if he can let our person know that we're there.  He does contact her and pass along the message without once looking me in the eye or even responding to anything I've said. STRIKE THREE.

We then wait 30 more minutes waiting for our contact to come -- finally even busy staff people ask us as they keep walking past what we're waiting on -- another manager calls her again -- and finally someone who our person sent to TAKE MY F-ING $2,500+ shows up.  Instead of just running the amount on my credit card and letting us leave this person has to ring each bike up individually.  It is a nightmare and she even had to start over once.  STRIKE ONE MILLION.

Why, Oh Why?

The problem with Walmart is that not a single employee cares whether or not they make a sale -- a 10 dollar one, a two thousand dollar one or a fifty thousand dollar one.

It is no way to run a company, but they sure seem successful.  And we want to buy as many bikes as we can for the kids. 

Yes, I hate Walmart, but I know that I'll be back there next year to buy the bikes.

But I'm spending my money at Target.

Top Toys for Christmas -- Help!

Well, it's Christmas time at Community Partners of Dallas and BOY, have we been blessed with lots of donors who have taken wishes for our kiddos.

This year we had more than 7,600 wishes turned in from the CPS caseworkers in Dallas County -- and that is 14% more than last year.  And even though there are 6 less days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, our donors (and our hard-working staff at CPD) have really stepped it up to make sure wishes get filled for the kids.

NOTE:  That whole 6 less days thing is really being felt by me in my own home decorating.  As someone who has always said that holiday decorating is what separates us from the animals (and yes, I know that my line is a take-off from Steel Magnolias -- they instead say "accessorizing" is what separates us), I have yet to have put out a single wooden Santa, light or bow.  I do have one dejected looking piece of garland only because my neighbor the Boy Scout orders it for me every year without fail.

But, that does not mean that we are out of the woods with the Toy Drive at CPD -- we still have wishes left if you want some, so call today 214-624-7557 -- but now I'm worrying about those kids who don't have a wish in our pile at all...

You see, we have a deadline for the caseworkers to turn in wishes to us back in October, so the kids who have come into care since then never had a wish out in the world.  And with Dallas County CPS working with more than 21,000 reports annually, you know that's a lot. 

So, if you are able, we'd really appreciate your help with our Last Stop Holiday Shop (that's what we call the undesignated toy drive).  Here are some of the most needed items -- our Top Toys for Christmas:

• Baby Dolls -- all ethnicities needed
• Push Toys
• Infant items -- rattles, onesies, etc.
• Gift Cards (to any store in increments of $25 each)
• Bikes
• All type of sports balls -- for all ages
• Bath and body sets for both boys and girls

Of course, if you just want to donate funds, we'd love that too -- we have lots of volunteers who will do the shopping for you!  Mail your gift today to Community Partners of Dallas, 1215 Skiles St, Dallas, TX 75204 or if you want to donate online at www.CommunityPartnersDallas.org just let us know by marking Toy Drive in the donation drop down menu and we'll be sure that your gift is designated appropriately.

NOTE:  The kids in our drive have been let down by adults over and over in their lives and so when they whisper a wish to their caseworker, they don't really expect it to come true.  And when it does come true, it shows that child that there are some people in the world that he can count on.

I'm counting on you.

Here I am with just a few of the wishes my mom filled this year.  They are sitting in my office until she comes by to inspect the choices I made...

A Wish

The Toy Drive is upon us at Community Partners of Dallas!

This year we have wishes from more children than ever before – over 5,300.  That means that we have more than 10,600 wishes to fill, plus even more than that for those kids who will come into care of CPS today and every day until the holiday is over.

The thing that always gets me every year is thinking about what it must feel like to be one of our kids.  When you have been let down over and over again by the adults in your life, when your hopes have been dashed, and promises not kept – well, even speaking a wish out loud is hard.  Your wishes have never been filled and your parents have never delivered upon a promise.  So when your CPS caseworker asks you what you want for Christmas you might whisper an answer, but all the time you know that it probably won’t ever come true. 

But when that wish is fulfilled, when that caseworker arrives at your foster home with the very thing that you asked for, you once again start to hope.

And a hope can become a dream and a dream can become reality.

We could use your help right now.

We have LOTS of wishes left and our deadline is Saturday, December 10^th.  These wishes and dreams from these kids are not extravagant either:

• Anthonia is 10 and she wants a Dairy Queen Blizzard Maker.
• Freddy is 4 and wants a Leapfrog toy.
• Jayleen is 11 and wants some pre-teen books.
• King is 1 and wants a Tonka Truck.

For 10 or 20 bucks you can show a child you will never know that she matters.  That he can have a dream fulfilled.

Call us and a wish will be on its way to you – 214-624-7557.  Thanks!

Does Your Hair Color Matter?

I was super excited this summer when Alyssa Campanella won Miss USA.  I didn’t watch the Miss USA show – although I used to when I was young because my grandmother and I always watched together – but the next day I saw Alyssa on The Today Show.  Why was I so excited?

SHE WAS A REDHEAD.

If you are not a redhead, you probably don’t get it.  Redheads are different.  We have freckles.  Patti Stanger (The Millionaire Matchmaker) hates us.  The most famous redheads are Lucille Ball and Carrot Top.  Bozo the Clown and Pippi Longstocking come to mind as well, and not that there’s anything wrong with them, but well, they’re funny – not necessarily considered beautiful. 

NOTE:  I know that you’re thinking about Nicole Kidman and yes she is beautiful, but the new lips really bug me now – don’t they you?

For me, there were always jokes about the milkman since I am the only redhead in my immediate family.  And being a pudgy redhead at Highland Park High School was not much of a draw for dates to Homecoming – I went once in 4 years and my date and his husband are currently very happy together.  And I still bring it up to Joe that he took a sophomore girl (a blonde) our senior year while I stayed home, but back to my story…

The other thing that made me feel different was that it was almost impossible to find a redheaded doll.  Raggedy Ann was in there, but other than that the choices were few and far between.  And certainly very few of the redheaded dolls were beautiful.  My mother searched and searched, but to no avail.  Doesn’t every little girl want to have a doll that looks like she does, but better?  Of course, as I gave up playing with dolls, this issue became less important.

Fast forward to about10 years ago when I started working for Community Partners of Dallas…

Our annual Holiday Toy Drive serves 5,000+ CPS kids with toys.  We rely on donors to fill wishes for individual kids and we also collect money from donors who don’t have time to shop but still want to make a child’s dream come true for the holiday.  In other words, lots of us (both volunteers and staff members) are out shopping for toys in December.  And that first year that my mom and I went out shopping for our wishes (my mom loves to do this with me each year – we always take my nieces too) – every bit of my redheaded doll problems came rushing back to me in a flash. 

It is very difficult to find African American dolls.  And since about 1,250 of our kids for the Toy Drive will be African American girls – this is a problem.  At first, I thought I just must have been shopping in the wrong store, but no.  This is universal – no matter the type of store, the neighborhood, etc..  I asked some of my African American friends about this and they confirmed it.  Why is this the case?  I don’t have an answer, but I think it hurts our little girls.  To not have a doll that looks like you confirms that you are different or at least maybe not what the world thinks is beautiful.

And we all need to think that we are beautiful – whether we’re 5 or 50.

So, when you are out and about during the holiday season, we sure would appreciate your purchase of any African American dolls to donate to us.  And if you have any influence with any mass-manufactured doll makers out there – I’d love to have a conversation with them about this problem.

Oh, and that thing about redheads having a temper?  It’s true.

Christmas Miracle Number 77

I have a new love for the number 7.  Here’s why:

At Community Partners of Dallas we do a HUGE toy drive every year to provide toys for all of the children involved with CPS.  Truly, many of these children have never before received a gift.  These kids have been told by those who are supposed to love them that they are stupid and worthless and ugly.  They have been beaten, neglected, sexually abused, and worse.  Holiday gifts simply aren’t part of these children’s reality.  At CPD we want to change that.  CPS Caseworkers find out what the children want and we print wishes (just like an angel tree) and send them out to donor groups and individuals to fill them and get them back to our warehouse for the big Distribution Day (this year it is today, Wednesday, December 15, 2010).

On Wednesday of last week, 3 days before our deadline to return gifts and wishes, we had 77 wishes returned (unfilled) by one of our donor groups.  I know that 77 kids isn’t very many in the grand scheme of things – this is less than 2% of the total amount of kids that we will provide toys for and even the 77 kids who had their wishes returned will still get something from our drive – just maybe not what they especially wanted.  And that is the problem.

For a kid who has been told he doesn’t matter, for a kid who has had her hopes dashed over and over again by adults, one single wish granted means something.  It means that someone in the world listened.  It means that someone in the world cared.  It means hope.

So, for those 77 kids, we went into overdrive.  You may have seen our posts on Facebook asking for people to take the 77 and fill them.  You did.  I did.  My mom did.  My best friend did.  My friend in California who I haven’t seen in 10 years did.  Within 5 hours, they were all filled and even more people were calling and were willing to give money to help us help our kids who never had wishes printed.  Kids who were picked up by CPS today or last week or even last month, since the wishes were collected and printed in October.

We filled the 77.  Or so I thought.

This past Saturday was the deadline for donors to bring wishes and undesignated toys to our Toy Drive Warehouse at Peacock Alley in Oak Cliff.  We had tons of volunteers there to receive and sort wishes.  Joanna Clarke, our Development VP, was standing at the warehouse dock door greeting people, bringing in loads of toys and more.  A lady that Joanna didn’t know walked in and said “If I could give you a bunch of new bikes today, would you accept them?”  Joanna asked the lady if this was a trick question and (of course) quickly said yes.  The lady made a call on her cell phone and asked Joanna what the Peacock Alley Warehouse address was, hung up and asked if she could volunteer until the bikes arrived.  Joanna set the lady up with a toy sorting job and they continued to talk.  Turns out that the lady and her father started buying bikes and donating them to a charity every Christmas when the lady was a little girl.  They started with just a bike or two and as the years went by, the number of bikes grew.  This year, the large charity who had always been the recipient of their bike donation had turned them away.  The lady had tried a couple of other well-known charitable toy drive groups and had been told that they had no room to accept her donation.  So, the lady was just driving around in her car not knowing where to go or what to do next with her bikes.  The lady didn’t even know where she was driving – she said she all-of-a-sudden found herself in an unfamiliar area, but then she saw our small little sign that said “Toy Drive” with an arrow pointing her to us. 

Guess how many bikes the lady and her family delivered?  77.

When Joanna called to tell me this story on Saturday afternoon and she told me the number of bikes, I got chills.  I explained to Joanna that 77 was the number of wishes returned unfilled earlier in the week that we had filled through our Facebook friends.

77.  It was a message.  You see, I know enough about the bible to know that the number 7 is thought to be one of God’s most important numbers.  Some call it God’s divine number. 

You remember that I thought that WE (me, you, and every person who donated) had filled the 77 returned wishes and all the rest of the gifts for 5,000 kids?  By sending the 77 bikes God gently reminded me that He was the one who sent the bikes and filled the wishes.

That’s our Christmas miracle.  Thank you for being part of it.

Top 10 Toys for Christmas

I know that it is early October, but we are already well into Christmas here at Community Partners of Dallas.  Each year we do a Toy Drive for about 5,000 children who are involved with Child Protective Services.  CPS caseworkers find out what the children on their caseloads would like and we make wish cards (similar to the Salvation Army Angel Tree) and send them out into the world to be filled by donors.

This year, we have requests for 15% more children than last year, so we are currently searching for 752 extra donors.  If you can help, please call Marjorie at 214-624-7588. 

The kids who you will be helping truly need some joy in their lives.  They have been battered and bruised and told by those who were supposed to love them that they are stupid and worthless. 

The kids are not asking for the moon either.  Here are our most requested items (in no particular order):

African American dolls
Buzz Lightyear Action Figure / Toys
Vtech Learning Toys
Barbies
Sports Balls (Soccer Balls, Footballs etc)
Wrestling Action Figures
Bath and Body Gift Sets
MP3 Players
Dora Dolls
LEGO Sets
Bikes with helmets
Tonka Trucks

You can make a child's dream come true, for as little as the cost of a barbie doll.  And yes, I know that I listed 12 toys, not 10 -- I was a theater major.