(NewsUSA) - Toys for Tots is the nation's flagship children's Christmastime charity, but the Program extends to helping children and families in need year-round. As children gear up for the new school year, the Toys for Tots Literacy Program continues its successful Back to School Books campaign in the hopes of doubling their literacy efforts. Last year, the Program distributed 1.8 million books and this year the Program hopes to distribute over 4 million books.

A key objective of the Marine Toys for Tots Program is to play an active role in the development of children by providing them direct access to books and educational resources that enhance their ability to read and communicate effectively. The Toys for Tots Literacy Program, launched in 2008 in partnership with The UPS Store, is one way to meet this goal. The Toys for Tots Literacy Program provides economically disadvantaged children with the books and educational resources that can help them build the confidence and self-esteem that will help them compete academically and succeed in life.

Data show that children who are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school, and that the ratio of books per child in some low-income neighborhoods is 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children.

"This program not only brings the joy of reading to these children, but also serves as an important tool in breaking the cycle of poverty," says Lieutenant General Jim Laster, USMC (Retired), President & CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

Since 2008, the Toys for Tots Literacy Program has provided an average of 2 million books to children, schools, and libraries each year. This year, Toys for Tots is teaming up with organizations such as Rise Augusta and Kids in Need Foundation for opportunities to distribute books to children in need year-round.

Please visit our donation page to support our Back to School Books campaign. https://www.toysfortots.org/backtoschool/Default.aspx. Be sure to follow "Gunny Bear" on the Toys for Tots Facebook and Instagram sites, where the Toys for Tots spokesbear shares more examples of the impact your support makes. Hope is just a book away!

(NewsUSA) - Toys for Tots is the Nation's flagship children's Christmastime charity, but the program offers more than holiday hope. Toys for Tots has expanded its reach to help families in need throughout the year, and its services have been more valuable than ever in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The past year saw a huge increase in the number of families in need, and many are still struggling. In order to continue providing emotional relief, comfort, and a sense of normalcy to impacted families, Toys for Tots distributed one million toys, games, and books to COVID-19 impacted families through their DoGoodNow campaign. The generosity of the American public allowed Toys for Tots to source these gifts to children across the United States, but now they need help to refill "Santa's bag of toys" in preparation for what will likely be another busy holiday season.

"We didn't want to wait until the holidays to support families in need, so we provided one million toys throughout the spring and summer," says LtGen Jim Laster, USMC (Retired), President & CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. "Through our DoGoodNow initiative, we depleted our emergency supply of toys originally reserved to kick off our holiday campaign. The primary goal of our Christmas in July campaign is to restock our inventory of toys after our second special COVID distribution, and we could use everyone's help in preparing for a busy holiday season," he emphasizes.

The impact of Toys for Tots' DoGoodNow campaign has been extremely successful thanks to the generosity of the American public. The support has reached nearly 400,000 children from coast-to-coast with help from our partner Good360 and their network of hundreds of local non-profits distributing toys in areas still reeling economically from the pandemic.

The emotional support offered to these families is made possible by the kindness and generosity of Toys for Tots supporters whose donations make a real and genuine impact on families in need. Visit toysfortots.org/ChristmasinJuly for more details or to make a donation. Be sure to follow Toys for Tots on Facebook and Instagram, where Toys for Tots spokesbear "Gunny Bear" shares examples of the impact your support makes.

(NewsUSA) - Hope is essential for children with critical illnesses, and you can help unlock its life-changing power today.

Parker's wish is to have a rainbow playset, and Jade wishes for a white fluffy puppy. These children and countless others hope to capture your heart and ignite your desire to support the Make-A-Wish mission to grant the wish of every eligible child.

Make-A-Wish is the world's largest wish-granting organization, serving children in nearly 50 countries. With generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 40,000 volunteers around the globe, Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. An integral part of a child's treatment journey, Make-A-Wish has fulfilled the wishes of more than 340,000 children nationwide since its founding in 1980.

There remains a tremendous gap between the number of wishes granted today and the estimated 27,000 children in the United States that are diagnosed with a qualifying condition annually. Together, we can raise the funds necessary to help close that gap.

"Fujitsu is known as a global leader in ductless mini-splits, but we're actually much more," said Matt Peterson, president and COO of Fujitsu General America, Inc. "We also supply VRF, unitary ducted, and commercial rooftops as a full line equipment supplier. But we're also much, much more than that. We support causes that are near and dear to our hearts. One of them is Make-A-Wish. If you know our culture, supporting children with critical illnesses is a no-brainer to us. It's the right thing to do. We hope you will find a way to join us in this incredible cause as we strive to make the world a better place. Visit fujitsugeneral.com/cares/wishes to learn more about how you can get involved."

There are many ways to support this extraordinary organization that grants wishes that help children replace fear with confidence, anxiety with hope and sadness with joy.

Here are just a few more ways to make a difference:

* Donate monthly to help reach every eligible child and ensure more children re-discover hope when they need it most.

* Fundraising, whether it's through athletic events, lemonade stands or birthday fundraisers, empowers passionate supporters to rally networks in their communities.

* Volunteers are the backbone of making wishes come true. Share your time and talents as a volunteer and transform a child's life.

Research shows children who have wishes granted build the physical and emotional strength needed to fight a critical illness. This can improve their quality of life and produce better health outcomes.

Together we can transform lives, one wish at a time. Visit Wish.org to learn more and see how you can get involved today!

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