MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Children’s Cheer & Toy Shop pickup line wrapped around the building Tuesday, Dec. 13 as the shop staff opened up for its distribution day.

The Children’s Cheer and Toy Shop, located at 589 Industrial Drive, works yearly to provide Colquitt County families with toys and gifts for the holiday season. The families must have completed a Children’s Cheer and Toy Shop application and undergone approval to receive the gifts.

“The day just started and we’re dashing out there. The parents have been very patient and appreciative this morning,” Stephanie Hardy, a spokesperson representing the Children’s Cheer and Toy Shop and a social worker at Cox Elementary School, said in an interview early in the day.

Parents and family members waiting for their gifts queued in three pickup lines in front of the shop as of 8:10 a.m.

The shop’s staff consisted of at least 15 people ranging in positions as community volunteers, social workers and volunteers from the Colquitt County School District, Key Club members from C.A. Gray Junior High School and students from the Colquitt County Achievement Center. Staff from the Moultrie Colquitt County Parks and Recreation Authority also assisted the day’s event.

Becky Giddens, an AmeriCorps member and an assistant with the United Way of Colquitt County, said volunteering with the Children’s Cheer and Toy Shop is her favorite event during the holiday season.

“You get a sense of fulfillment because you know you’re helping someone in need and you’re working with a great group of women and gentlemen,” Giddens told The Observer.

This year marks Gidden’s second official year volunteering, and her main task is to distribute the gift bags to the runners. Each bag includes two to three toys and a book with motivational quotes or scriptures.

Families who miss their initial pickup date and time slot could return on Dec. 15 for the pickup makeup day.

“The social workers are really good about if a parent [does] not come. We will still pull those toys, take them back to our schools, and we will call those families and say ‘Hey, you know you missed the distribution day. We have your toys here at our schools. We don’t want to leave anyone out,’” Hardy said during a previous Kiwanis Club meeting regarding the distribution day.

The shop is already collecting and preparing items for next year’s pickup date. The shop accepts toy donations, but only in new condition. They no longer accept used toys due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Book donations are also appreciated.

Please refer to the Children’s Cheer & Toy Shop’s Facebook page to learn more.