Organizations offer chance to help those in need this holiday season

Local organizations are calling on the community to help support families, seniors, and individuals in need this holiday season.

One of the largest efforts underway is the annual Toys for Tots drive, coordinated locally by the Marine Corps League’s Coastal Valleys Detachment 1340.

Area coordinator Dan Cadena said the program relies heavily on the public’s generosity.

“Toys for Tots is really important in that when the community comes together and helps us get these toys, we reach out to the families in need of the various communities,” Cadena said.

Cadena noted that the toy distribution is organized in partnership with CommUnify’s Head Start program, which registers families and sorts donations before the holidays.

Each year, the local program typically provides toys to “2,500 to 3,00