TOLEDO, Ohio — The spirit of giving back is already in the air for the alumni members of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
The Toledo alumnae Chapter of the sorority held their annual drive-thru Joy of Giving toy drive to benefit local children in need at Bowsher High School on Saturday.
"Service is what we do and we would not be able to do our duties as a sorority if we did not help our community," said Aleshia Furr, Joy of Giving committee chair.
The toy drive is an event the group has held in the Toledo area for decades.
This year's event and last year's however, have moved to a drive-thru style because of COVID.
Members of the sorority say they are thankful to be helping and know how hard this time of year can be for some families.
"I was fortunate, and had parents who also instilled principles. But, I also had classmates who were different and they did not have certain things that I may have had as a child. So this right here brings it home to me," said Rochelle Hall-Rollins, president of the Toledo Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.
For the last couple of years, the sorority has been asking people to donate certain toys to help the kids at Lucas County Children Services and Family House.
"So they came to us and we came up with this idea to collect African-American dolls and toys to be able to donate to those children because representation matters," said Furr.
They say this is a great way for people in the community to give back and alleviate some of the stress parents or foster parents might be feeling.
"This is an opportunity for the community to say, 'hey, I can at least give something for someone else, as opposed to keeping it within themselves. We have to help others in order for us to succeed in life," said Hall-Rollins.
The sorority said their goal for toy donations is 500 toys this year.
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