The work to bring joy through Christmas cheer has been in full force this week as volunteers with the Salvation Army in Greater Cleveland have been collecting and sorting toys at the Salvation Army’s Euclid Toy Workshop on Bluestone Boulevard.

Starting this past Monday, Dec. 8, Salvation Army captains Joel and Kathleen Ashcraft served as area commanders for the many corporate and community volunteer groups who rolled up their sleeves to pack toy bags for more than 6,300 children in Cuyahoga County.

The Salvation Army in Greater Cleveland has a long-standing Christmas program to support families with children, from birth to age 12, with toys. The organization will also provide families with gift cards to help purchase food for Christmas meals.

This year, the Salvation Army reports an 8% increase over 2024 in the number of requests for toys, so the organization is working to collect 16,000 toys.

“We have 22 different groups that will be coming in to volunteer over the course of the week,” says Mandy Hoover, Salvation Army Northeast Ohio Division’s development and public relations manager. “We have been ongoing with our toy collection efforts since Nov. 1 and will continue collecting until Friday, Dec. 12.”