Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater is asking for your help with regard to the United States Marine Corps Reserve and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office mission to participate in the collection of toys for the Corps’ Reserve Toys for Tots program. Last year, through the generous giving of citizens, they were able to pack four giant boxes to the brim with toys for those in need. Vandewater says their ultimate goal is to become a distribution location for this year. Fortunately, he says, they have been able to obtain our goal of being a distribution site in partnership with Toys for Tots in 2017. The form is available for you to download, here:   Scan

Any child in need that is a resident of Adair County or attends an Adair County school district is welcome to have their parent or guardian sign them up, though they will gladly accept any child who is in need. The sign up rosters are vetted by Toys for Tots staff to make sure there are enough toys to go around for every child. Each child may only be signed up once through the Toys for Tots Foundation.

The Sheriff says “We have already started our collection process and new, unwrapped, still in the package toys can be brought to the Adair County Sheriff’s Office or Shopko in Greenfield where we have collection boxes set up. If a local group or organization have collected toys and are unable to bring them to one of the collection sites, we can be contacted and arrangements will be made to pick them up. Monetary donations are also accepted. The monies will go towards the purchase of additional toys. The final date to drop off donations will be December 13th.”

Sign up for those children in need by either the parent or guardian has also begun. We are accepting forms until December 6th. The form can be found on the link attached this story (above), on Sheriff’s Department Facebook page, and at the following locations:

Adair: Boys and Girls Club, Fay Pharmacy, City Hall;

Bridgewater: Bridgewater Café;

Casey: Rolling Hills Bank and Trust;

Fontanelle: City Hall;

Greenfield: Adair County Sheriff’s Office, Courthouse bulletin board, and Shopko;

Orient: Farmers and Merchants State Bank.

Menlo and Stuart were not included, the Sheriff says, “Because traditionally they have been taken care of through Sarah’s Holiday Caring program in Stuart. These residents may participate in either program.”

It is important to note that the forms must be filled out completely. Any forms not filled out in its entirety will sadly be discarded. This is a Toys for Tots rule so that the vetting process can be completed thoroughly. They ask that all forms either be dropped off at the Adair County Sheriff’s Office at any time, or emailed to toysfortots@adaircountyso.org.

Toys will be given away December 15th from 5-p.m. until 8-p.m. at the Sheriff’s Office. Identification will be required to complete the pickup process. Parents or Guardians are not required to bring their children. Some may choose to receive the toys alone in order to wrap them for a later date. They prefer if the parent or guardian who registered the form is the person coming to pick up the presents, as this will save on any confusion.

If in an extreme circumstance a parent or guardian is unable to attend the pick-up date of December 15th, please call the Adair County Sheriff’s Office so that arrangements can be made for a different pick up date. If there are any questions, please direct them to Deputy James Paup at the Adair County Sheriff’s Office. You may reach Sheriff Vandewater by phone at 641-743-2148 or by email, toysfortots@adaircountyso.org.