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Ridgecrest CA

Serving Ridgecrest, Inyokern, and Trona, CA

Toys for Tots Coordinator
Amy Ochoa

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The Local Impact

Ridgecrest CA during 2024

3,699
Toys Distributed		 1,035
Children Supported

The Ridgecrest Toys for Tots campaign is community oriented, community supported, and community strong.

The 2024 campaign season is here!

FAMILIES SEEKING TOY ASSISTANCE
Open registration closed Dec. 8, 2024 after being available for four weeks. *IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR REGISTERED FAMILIES* The name you placed on your registration form MUST MATCH your photo ID. You are required to provide your photo ID at pick-up and it must match exactly to the name you place on the registration form. Don't have an ID? Bring a current utility bill instead. 

HOW DO I GET A TOY COLLECTION BOX FOR MY BUSINESS, ORGANIZATION, OR SPECIAL EVENT? 
Collection boxes are available for you to pick-up at:
+Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce (128 California Ave. Suite B in Ridgecrest. Open Mon.-Fri. 8:30am-4:30pm),
+China Lake Museum (130 E. Las Flores in Ridgecrest. Open Tues.-Sat. 10am-4pm).
+Delivery is available if you can't pick-up. Please contact campaign volunteers by texting/calling (760) 428-2740 or emailing ridgecrest.ca@toysfortots.org.
Toy collection boxes and donations are due back to the campaign on or before Monday, December 16, 2024. Please contact campaign volunteers to arrange drop-off or pick-up of such by texting/calling (760) 428-2740 or emailing ridgecrest.ca@toysfortots.org. 

HOW DO I FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE LOCAL CAMPAIGN?
Monetary donations are appreciated in the form of check or cashier's check, made out to the "Ridgecrest Toys for Tots."
Cash is also an acceptable form of donation, but it is recommended that any cash donated to the campaign be accompanied with a donation letter detailing the total amount donated and the contact information of the donor, in order to receive a donation acknowledgement letter from the Foundation.
All monetary donations may be:
+Arranged to be picked-up by local campaign volunteers by texting/calling (760) 428-2740 or emailing ridgecrest.ca@toysfortots.org.
+Mailed to Ridgecrest Toys for Tots, 639 North Norma Street, Ridegcrest, CA 93555 (thank you to the Ridgecrest United Methodist Church for allowing the campaign to use their mailing address to save donor money by not needing to rent a post office box). 
+Given to local community volunteers during special events and fundraisers who are wearing official Toys for Tots t-shirts and/or Toys for Tots photo ID badges.

WISH TO SPONSOR A FUNDRAISER TO BENEFIT THE CAMPAIGN?
All funds raised will remain local to support children in Ridgecrest, Inyokern, and Trona. In 2023, many local businesses and organizations hosted fundraisers on the campaign's behalf by hosting: Photos with Santa, Christmas parties, pool tournaments, poker runs, dart tournaments, endurance races, and car shows. The sky is the limit! Connect with local campaign volunteers by texting/calling (760) 428-2740 or emailing ridgecrest.ca@toysfortots.org. 

WHO LEADS THE LOCAL RIDGECREST CAMPAIGN?
Since there is no Marine Reserve unit in Ridgecrest, the Ridgecrest Toys for Tots campaign is led by local community (non-military) volunteers. All local campaign volunteers donate their time and are unpaid. The Ridgecrest campaign's volunteer local community organizer (LCO) is Amy Ochoa, a Ridgecrest native. 
Do you wish to join the local volunteer team? Connect with campaign volunteers by texting/calling (760) 428-2740 or emailing ridgecrest.ca@toysfortots.org.
To note, local campaign volunteers are managed closely by paid staff at the Toys for Tots Foundation Headquarters in Virginia. So closely in fact, that every campaign is required to complete various deposit and purchasing reports throughout the season, as well as an after action report every January. Not following Foundation policies may result in a local campaign being shut down by the Foundation. Also, the Foundation gives every LCO a written yearly review regarding his/her performance. A poor LCO review will result in dismissal from volunteering again. You may also be interested to learn that the salaries of the paid staff at the Foundation level are paid out of an endowment fund through the Disney company, and do not come from any donations. 

WHY IS THE COMMUNITY ASKED TO DONATE? 
The Toys for Tots Foundation has over 830 campaigns throughout the US. While the Foundation sends toys to all campaigns, it focuses mostly on providing toys for larger sized campaigns that assist 10,000+ children, and campaigns in communities that are rebuilding after natural disasters. The Ridgecrest campaign is categorized as a 'small' sized campaign by the Foundation.
In 2023, the Foundation sent 852 toys to be gifted to local children, and thankfully, the local community showed up big to provide an additional 3,605 donated toys. 

HOW DOES THE LOCAL CAMPAIGN HANDLE MONETARY DONATIONS? 
The National Toys for Tots Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity, was established in 1947. The Foundation is responsible for maintaining the finances of all 830+ campaigns nationwide, and are strictly audited every year by reputable financial institutions. Charity Navigator, a third-party charitable watchdog group, awarded Toys for Tots four-out-of-four stars and a 99% top rating in 2023 for its outstanding oversight of public donations.
100% of monetary donations made to the Ridgecrest campaign is deposited into the Ridgecrest campaign's account at the Foundation level. The local campaign is required to complete a several step accounting report with every monetary donation made, before the donation and its accounting report is overnight mailed to the Foundation to be deposited.

HOW DOES THE LOCAL CAMPAIGN MAKE PURCHASES? 
The Toys for Tots Foundation provides local community organizers (LCO) with debit cards that are directly connected to their respective local campaign accounts. Every single purchase an LCO makes on behalf of their local campaign must be done using this debit card, under the direction and approval of Foundation staff. Purchases are then populated to an online log book where LCOs must upload purchase receipts and purchase reports for every purchase. Foundation staff closely monitor this to ensure LCOs are following the Foundation's strict purchasing policies. LCOs who fail to follow purchasing policies are dismissed of their volunteer duties. The Ridgecrest campaign is honored to report that it received 100% compliance regarding every purchase made in 2023. 

LIVE IN CALIFORNIA CITY, ROSAMOND, BORON, OR MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA?
Unfortunately, the California City Toys for Tots campaign that serves the areas of California City, Rosamond, Boron, and Mojave, California is closed for the 2024 season due to not having a volunteer local community organizer (LCO). If you are impacted by this closure, you encouraged to seek out other toy assistance programs in your local area.

FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/ToysForTotsRidgecrestCA 

Celebrating all the good works from last year's campaign!

Over 4,450 toys were collected and disbursed in December, 2023! 
+406 families were served from open registration. 
+34 families were served from social service situations. 
+11 families were served from the wait list.
That's over 1,300 children assisted by local donors, THANK YOU Ridgecrest, Inyokern, and Trona!

100% of funds raised through the Ridgecrest Toys for Tots campaign stay local to support the campaign and local children.

Your online donations are appreciated and are collected year round! Click the "Donate" button on the top right hand side of this screen to begin donating online. Donate through this link and 100% of your donation will benefit children in Ridgecrest, Inyokern, and Trona.