For Hometown News
ST. LUCIE COUNTY --
Open Arms Early Childhood Learning Center is asking community members to donate to the WPSL Christmas Kids toy drive.
Open Arms will collect unwrapped children's toys through Dec. 16 and donate them to the Christmas Kids project, the oldest continuous toy drive in St. Lucie County.
The toys will be delivered to underprivileged children in the area, giving them a Christmas celebration which they wouldn't have otherwise.
Donations can be dropped off at Open Arms of Fort Pierce, co-located within Trinity Lutheran Church, on the corner of Virginia Avenue and 13th Street at 2015 S. 13th St..
The Christmas Kids originated in 1946 when the first radio station on the Treasure Coast broadcast an appeal to help a little girl with brain cancer. The generosity of listeners was overwhelming and the toys and money donated helped little Reba Nell and many more children.
The campaign has continued every holiday season since. Over the years, the Christmas Kids expanded to include summer recreation programs for children, plus medical supplies and school clothing for families with no other place to turn.
Open Arms Early Childhood Learning Center, a nonprofit organization, offers Christian-based, early learning for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years and after-school care for children up to age 12.
For more information about Open Arms Early Childhood Learning Center, call (772) 489-4800 or visit the website at www.openarms4kids.com.