Libraries Partner with Toys for Tots for 2023 Holiday Season

This year, Citrus Libraries marked year three in an on-going holiday partnership with Marine Toys for Tots to assist in distributing books to children in the community. Citrus County Toys for Tots Coordinator, Paul Pilny, learned in November that they would be receiving more than 800 new books to go to children during the holidays. This brings the three-year total to almost 5000 new books donated to local organizations and families in the county.

This year, Citrus Libraries also enlisted the help of the Family Resource Center of Citrus County and Carter Street Head Start in Inverness. With their assistance, the books have been distributed to local volunteers working to put together gifts for children in need. “In October of this year our Friends of the Library brought it to our attention that they would be donating some books to Carter Street Head Start for some of their families. When we spoke with them after Thanksgiving, they were thrilled to have the opportunity to receive 400 new books to distribute to the families that they serve,” said Library Director Adam Chang. “We are very thankful that Paul [Pilny] has continued to work with Citrus Libraries to bring this additional Toys for Tots program to Citrus County during the holiday season.” In addition to Carter Street Head Start, library staff delivered the remaining books to the Citrus County Family Resource Center in Hernando, to be used as a portion of their “Adopt a Child” program for this holiday season.

Toys for Tots has been spreading happiness and hope during the holiday season since 1947, and currently serves more than 850 communities across the country. To learn more about the Citrus County Toys for Tots program and the impact they have had on the Citrus County community, you can visit their website at Beverly-hills-fl.toysfortots.org.

To stay up-to-date on everything within the Citrus County Library System, you can follow @CitrusLibraries on Facebook and Instagram, or visit the library’s website at citruslibraries.org.