“Every child deserves a new toy for Christmas,” said KGRM Station Manager Joyce Evans. Evans oversees the yearly Season of Giving toy drive on campus.This endeavor was the result of campus media converging more than a decade ago to help families in need.
“We decided that we needed to do something for the community,” Evans said. “We looked at the statistics in terms of poverty rates in the state.”
Seventeen percent of Louisiana residents live below the poverty line, according to www.crowleypostsignal.com. This can present conundrums for Black families in the area.
In Louisiana, more than 40 percent of Black children live in “poor families.” That percentage is nine percent for White children, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty Web site.
While the toy drive will not reverse poverty, it offers assistance to families during a rough time of year.
“It’s about pulling together for the community,” Evans said. “It’s not about the individual. People bring stuff and they are not looking for anything.”
“The great thing about the drive is that it’s direct,” said Justin Anderson, a senior mass communication major from Arcadia.
“You get to see where the toys are going and meet the families receiving them. It is something that is needed and needed in more forms,” said Anderson.
Evans requested that unwrapped gifts be submitted. She added that only new toys and gifts would be accepted.
As the holidays become nearer, bicycles, games and other gifts always crowd the station, she said.
“By the time it’s over, you can’t walk (around the station),” said Evans.
Come to the radio station, which is located on the second floor of Washington Johnson Complex from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. to donate.
Donations can be dropped off until Dec. 13. The on-site application to receive toys must also be completed by Dec. 13 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.