Posted: Monday, December 22, 2014

During a home visit, I noticed the mother was crafting something using materials she had around the house.  I figured this was a hobby, so I asked her about what she was making.  She told me she couldn't afford to buy her son a Christmas present that year, so she was making one herself.

This was the moment Chris Jordan, residential manager of TPC's Atwood Apartments, realized something needed to be done. Five years later, Jordan now co-directs an annual holiday giving campaign that generates hundreds of new toys for underprivileged children ages 4 to 12 served by The Providence Center.

Jordan, in partnership with Joli Roderick of Providence, typically begins soliciting donations in early November from friends, colleagues and local organizations including Toys for Tots and The Gloria Gemma Foundation. TPC Supported Education Specialist Ben Borrego and his wife Sally donated over 50 toys for toddlers. Even Jordan's cycling group has made donations over the years.

This year, Roderick developed a relationship with Rhode Island College's National Society of Leadership and Success, which resulted in a record breaking number of donations.

"I couldn't do all this without Joli," Jordan said. "She came up with the idea to work with the students at RIC and the result was amazing."

The toys are gradually gathered and stored on the third floor of Roderick's home in Providence.

"Right now, there are so many toys up there you can hardly see the floor," Jordan said.

Once all the gifts are collected, Jordan and Roderick are faced with the task of organizing and dividing up the piles of new toys, which number about 1,500 this year.  The allocation typically takes about 16-20 hours, but according to Jordan, it's worth the effort.  TPC programs that’

"It's incredible to think about how many children and families will benefit because of these gifts, we're so grateful to everyone that donated," Jordan said.

The TPC programs that will receive the toys for distribution to clients include: Teen ACT, Early Childhood Institute, Women’s Roads to Recovery, Home Base, Network Care Coordination, and three additional CSP teams.

In order to learn more about TPC giving campaigns and how to donate, please contact Annual Campaign Manager Erica Donnelly.