The 31st anniversary of the annual Los Medanos College traditional toy drive is here. The event takes place on the Pittsburg campus, and they are asking for small donations to give back to those in need during the holidays.

In previous years, the Office of Instruction at the Pittsburg campus has given donations to the Salvation Army as part of the Giving Tree Program, but this year, donations will go toward children of LMC students in the CalWORKS and EOPS/CARE programs.

The decision to switch recipients of the toy drive came after Director of Programs of EOPS/CARE Stephan Freeman, Jr. reached out to Eileen Valenzuela of the Office of Instruction to ask how EOPS students can be benefited.

Freeman has had the chance to analyze the outlook now directed towards the students that the program bases for family and lower income communities.

“I wanted to make sure it was more accessible to these groups who have additional stress during the holidays,” Freeman said.

Valenzuela agreed with Freeman’s request to change the recipients of the donation to become more LMC-focused.

LMC will now give the children of LMC’s students in the CalWORKS and EOPS/CARE programs gift donations. There are close to 60 students with children in these programs.

This year, think of your fellow students as even the most inexpensive gifts can cause joy to others. It is suggested that art supplies, stuffed animals, board games, dolls and action figures are appropriate toy donations. The toys must be brand new, not something from your childhood.

The requested gifts should be appropriate for children ages two to 12. The drive organizers prefer gifts to be unwrapped, and given to Valenzuela in the Office of Instruction for collection. The final day to drop off donations is Friday, Dec. 13.

The Brentwood campus will also hold its own toy drive, with donations going to children K-8 served by the Village Community Resource Center in Brentwood.

A giving tree is set up with sticky notes denoting age and gender of children. These donations should be given to the  front office, unwrapped and with a sticky note attached, by Friday, Dec. 13.