ACS hosts holiday toy drive

Story and photo by Sarahjane Phillips
Army Community Service


Being stationed in Europe comes with many opportunities, but it also brings unrealized hardships.  Army Community Service strives to make sure every member of the community, no matter how small, is taken care of, especially during the holiday season. 

On Dec. 2, various agencies within the community gathered at the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center on Ramstein with one common goal: to collect and share good will. 

While Armed Forces Europe gave a live broadcast from the food court, ACS passed out candy canes to shoppers with the hope that while they browsed the many isles they would pick up a toy to donate.
 
“As always, one of our main objectives in ACS is to preserve the family. Because of recent changes in the world, many of our military families have felt financially constrained. We feel it is very important to help wherever we can,” said ACS director Michelle Thomas. “Our military members have voluntarily dedicated their lives to service, which can lead to hardships, and I think the best way we can say ‘thank you’ is to be there for them in every aspect by doing programs such as the Holiday Assistance Program. It relieves stress on the family, both emotionally and financially, which results in comfort for the families during the holiday season.”

ACS will be collecting toys until Monday. Collection boxes are placed at the KMCC on Ramstein and throughout the community.

For more information on the holiday toy drive, call ACS at 0631-3406-4203.