Hohenfels VFW mobilizes military community to give toys for holidays

Photo By Bryan Gatchell | JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany -- Members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10557 stand with members of the Pedagogical Center St. Josef at Parsberg, Germany Dec. 21, 2023 after the VFW members delivered toys to the center as part of its inaugural toy drive. The VFW received toys from the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria Directorate of Emergency Services, from members of the Hohenfels military community and from the Hohenfels Thrift Shop, to establish, what members of the VFW hope, what will be an annual holiday tradition. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan Gatchell, USAG Bavaria Public Affairs)  

HOHENFELS, BY, GERMANY

12.21.2023

Story by Bryan Gatchell 

U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria

JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany – The Hohenfels Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 10557, collected toys and delivered them Dec. 21, 2023 to a day and residential child care center in Parsberg, Germany.

Days before Christmas, members of the VFW unloaded carloads of toys to das Pädagogisches Zentrum St. Josef Parsberg (the St. Joseph Pedagogical Center in Parsberg), where administrators and children thanked the group for their generosity.

In one of the day rooms, the members dropped off boxes of race car sets, field sport balls, miniature race car tracks, plush animals, dolls, brick-building sets and much more.

“We didn’t expect so much,” said Anna Wagner, an administrative assistant at the center. “Mostly when we get something it’s [just] one of these boxes.”

Michael Simon, the education manager for the center, called the delivery of toys an “enormous Christmas surprise.”

“I am so overwhelmed by this generosity and large-heartedness from you,” he said upon receiving the goods.

“We want to make this a tradition every year to pick up toys,” Edwin Quinones, an officer-trustee with the VFW.

Besides for reaching out to help the children of the center, Quinones had in mind letting the community know what VFW does.

“This is one of the many things we do,” said Quinones. “We also give out grants for people going to college. We also help veterans, but not only veterans, active-duty personnel, with advice.”

To gather toys, the VFW set up a donation spot in the lobby of the Post Exchange. Many community members, upon learning of the toy drive, bought toys to donate.

The Directorate of Emergency Services donated several toys as soon as they learned of the drive.

The Hohenfels Thrift Shop also coordinated with the VFW to mobilize the Hohenfels military community into help out. When community members donated to the shop, the shop matched the contribution, thus gathering even more boxes of toys.

In appreciation of their efforts, the pedagogical center administrators gifted the VFW and the other contributors homemade painted and glazed ceramic hearts.

• Date Taken: 12.21.2023
• Date Posted: 12.21.2023 11:19
• Story ID: 460571
• Location: HOHENFELS, BY, DE
• Hometown: PARSBERG, BY, DE