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PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – As the Sunshine State continues to recover in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Florida’s first lady is making sure the youngest victims don’t get left behind.
Casey DeSantis, who is spearheading the Florida Disaster Fund, announced on Monday a toy drive for children who lost their belongings when the Category 4 storm devastated the state.
DeSantis said toys will be collected through faith-based and non-profit partners, who will in turn bring the donations to disaster recovery centers.
If there are any excess toys above what is needed, the first lady said they would still be put to good use.
“The holidays are right around the corner, and I’m sure there’s a lot of great kids out there who have been through some tough times and would love to see a toy on their doorstep,” she said.
According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s website, all donations must be new and unwrapped. Toys can be mailed or dropped off in person to locations accepting donations.
So far, two churches in Charlotte and Lee counties are listed on the state’s website, but DeSantis said in her announcement that they would be asking for donations from across the state. It’s unclear if other locations will be added in the near future.
For more information on the toy drive, visit the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s website by clicking here.
