(NewsUSA) - Marine Toys for Tots, which is traditionally known as the flagship children’s Christmastime charity, has evolved into a year-round force for good. The year-round assistance and emotional relief that the organization provides extends beyond the holiday season, because needs aren’t seasonal, and neither is Toys for Tots.

The Program’s year-round distributions reassure families who face adversity and exceptional circumstances that Marine Toys for Tots is committed to delivering messages of hope, restoring and building self-esteem, and inspiring youngsters to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.

As schools close for the summer, vulnerable children are at risk of losing many of the educational skills they achieved during the school year because they don’t have access to books and other educational resources outside of the school system.

To help prevent summer learning loss and prepare students for the next school year, the Marine Toys for Tots Program continues its year-round impact through their Spring and Summer initiative – Smiles for Today, Hope for Tomorrow. This initiative provides children access to the learning tools they need to help them maintain their skills and prepare for the new school year.

Through this initiative, Toys for Tots is providing one hundred truckloads of toys, gifts, and educational resources to children in need in communities across twenty-six states, in partnership with sixty local nonprofit organizations. The support that Toys for Tots continues to provide beyond the holiday season is instrumental in reassuring underprivileged children that they are not forgotten. The Program stands ready to provide emotional relief, comfort, and hope for a brighter future to children in need through distribution events held by local organizations across the Nation. 

One such organization, My Joyful Heart, recently distributed toys, books, and games – provided by Toys for Tots – to 1,100 children in the greater Chicago area, along with clothing, hygiene items, and snacks.  Summer is often a difficult time for children who don’t have the safety net that school provides, so the items they receive remind them of their tremendous worth and value.

My Joyful Heart’s Director of Operations, Erin Burns, said, “The children will be overjoyed with their gifts, and more importantly, they will be reminded that so many people care.”

The Spring and Summer distribution events are part of Toys for Tots’ commitment to empowering children year-round – giving them gleaming smiles for today and renewed hope for a brighter future tomorrow.  

Visit www.toysfortots.org to be a force for good this summer!