Better Together launches holiday toy drive to support families in need

Better Together, a nonprofit dedicated to families and children, is seeking donations of Christmas gifts to aid the nonprofit in spreading holiday cheer to local families across Southwest Florida.

Every year with the support of generous donors, Better Together provides Christmas gifts to the families the nonprofit serves through its Better Families program. This season, the need is even greater as many families struggle to recover from Hurricane Ian. Better Together is delivering toys to families in communities that were highly impacted by the storm.

The nonprofit is collecting donations of new, unwrapped toys for children of all ages. Items of greatest need include toys for younger children and gift cards for older children.

“For many families, just getting through the day-to-day is difficult, their obstacles great. The holidays present additional challenges, and the parents we serve can’t afford to put gifts around the tree,” said Megan Rose, CEO of Better Together. “The Better Together toy drive arose to relieve that stress and give families a bright moment in the season of giving.”

Through Thursday, Dec. 15, Better Together is collecting donations at the following drop-off locations:

• Naples: Grow Church, 15300 Tamiami Trail N., Naples, FL 34110

• Cape Coral: LadyCakes Bakery, 2924 Del Prado Blvd. S., Unit 7, Cape Coral, FL 33904

• Fort Myers: Southern Oak Wealth Management, 12431 Brantley Commons Court, Suite 101, Fort Myers, FL 33907

• Fort Myers: Fort Rock, 7131 Alico Road, Unit 130, Fort Myers, FL 33912 (also collecting bicycles)

• Fort Myers: Royal Palm Property Management, 813 Lake McGregor Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33919 (also collecting bicycles)

Volunteers can also sign up to be a Christmas family sponsor. A family sponsor is connected to a specific family in need of support this holiday season. They fill the family’s wish list and deliver the gifts directly to the family. The deadline to sign up is Dec. 20 at BetterTogetherUS.org/Give-Help.

To learn more about Better Together and its mission, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.

ABOUT BETTER TOGETHER

Better Together is a nonprofit organization that helps parents going through a hard time keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive. A privately funded and professionally supported organization, Better Together is made up of volunteers who believe helping people help themselves is the best way to restore dignity and bring families together. Through the Better Families program, families are offered a preventive alternative to foster care while they get the help they need. To date, the program has kept 98% of children served out of foster care. The Better Jobs program was created to address the 76% of families that come to Better Together because of economic hardship tied to unemployment. In addition to community job fairs, the program offers job seekers coaching, guidance, support and encouragement through local church partners. For more information, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.