Toy Giveaway Has Leftovers, Which Is Seen as Good Sign

As much as the organizers of the Rescue Mission’s toy giveaway enjoy playing Santa Claus, the short line of hopeful parents and children Saturday morning was a gift in itself. Fewer needy families could be a sign that 1998 has been a better year than past years.

“Maybe it’s a sign of a good economy, I don’t know,” said Sherryl Kaplan of Westlake Village, who organized volunteers for the eighth annual giveaway.

More than 500 toys, one per child, were handed out this year. In the past, Kaplan said, “we’ve had as many as 1,500 children come through here.”

“Christmas has a lot of different meanings, but I think for the children, getting gifts is the most significant thing,” Kaplan said. “You can’t see more joy than children walking away with a big present.”

Brenda Smith brought her four sons, ages 2 to 8, to Saturday’s giveaway. Joeron, Ronzelle, Ronelle and Brenden all left with brightly wrapped presents.

“That will add some color under the tree,” Smith said, as her sons pleaded to open their gifts.

“The rule is Christmas morning,” Smith said. “But I think last year I let them open one up the night before.”

This year, she said, “the main thing they wanted was a Nintendo 64.”

“With a wrestling game and a car-racing game,” added Joeron, 8.

“How ‘bout a house?” his mother asked him. “You can’t live in a game.”

The toy gun that Ronzelle, 6, thought he felt under the red wrapping paper was probably something else. The Rescue Mission doesn’t give away guns and knives, Kaplan said.

“Even if they’re safe, it’s just a symbolic thing we try to avoid,” she said.

The faith-based Oxnard charity continues to accept donations of new, unwrapped toys at its East 6th Street facility, but is no longer giving away the vouchers required to receive them.

Six hundred vouchers were handed out this year, and there were more than enough toys left over Saturday. Toy manufacturers, churches, businesses, other groups and individuals donated the gifts, about 1,000 in all.

“Whatever we have left over, we’ll give it away on Christmas Day,” Rescue Mission associate director Carol Roberg said.

After an early rush Saturday, the volunteers handing out the gifts outnumbered recipients by a wide margin. Melanie Yanagihara of Oxnard wrapped presents at the Rescue Mission on Friday night with her niece Keilani and showed up again Saturday to give them away.

“It’s something I always wanted to do, but never had time,” Yanagihara said.

Looking for a gift for an older child, volunteer Dan Gilbert of Camarillo carefully peeled away one gift’s Santa-patterned wrapping paper. But inside was a pair of binoculars he deemed best for a boy age 3 to 5.

Gifts for children ages 3 to 8 were abundant Saturday; box after box was full of miniature cars and Barbie dolls. But gifts for older children, particularly teenagers, are traditionally in short supply.

“Think about the boys and girls from age 12 to 16 that come through here and are left out this time of year,” Kaplan said, suggesting books, hats and small electronics as good gifts for teens.