Supply chain issues weren’t enough to block a Santa’s Workshop that donated more than 1,500 toys Tuesday to Loudoun County families in need.
Volunteers and workers with two law firms, Burnett & Williams and Dunlap, Bennett & Ludwig, teamed up with a food bank, The Ampersand Pantry Project, to collect Christmas wish lists and buy toys for 300 children, organizers said.
Aimee McKinney, the chief marketing officer at Dunlap, Bennett & Ludwig told WTOP that the need has been staggering.
“Last year, we had families pull up in tears saying, ‘thank you so much,’” she said. “The economy, no matter if it was for Covid or other reasons, there are a lot of people struggling in Loudoun County.”
Donors were matched with the number of children of their choice. They visited toy stores and bought much of what the kids wanted.
The families were only identified by a number, so their identities were hidden.
“It was like being a secret Santa for a family,” McKinney said. “They don’t know them by name. They’re not seeing them but they said, ‘I had so much fun shopping.’”
Some volunteers ran into supply chain issues in their quest to find the perfect gift.
“You kind of substitute for something that’s almost like it,” said Tammy Ramirez, a donor. “So, instead of a tricycle, I got a big wheel.”
Volunteers then wrapped the toys in clear plastic bags and lined them in a vacant strip mall store in Leesburg. From there, some families picked up their special orders, and volunteers delivered just in time for the holiday.
“It’s Christmas and it’s something that they will always remember and treasure,” Ramirez said. “That’s the bottom line.”
