Bare shelves: Durham Rescue Mission needs over 5,000 holiday gifts for children

Each Christmas, the Durham Rescue Mission brightens the holidays for roughly 7,000 children by providing toys, clothes, and a dash of hope.

Unfortunately, this year, they are short by almost 5,000 gifts, meaning thousands of Durham children could be left with an empty Christmas tree.

The rush is on, as volunteers and staff call on the local community to donate toys and clothes to help ensure all Durham families have a merry, warm holiday.

Rob Tart, the COO of the Durham Rescue Mission, said, "It's an area with good people in it. It's been our experience in the past that when they hear the need, they come through. So we are calling on them again."

An annual tradition of generosity

This isn't the first year the Durham Rescue Mission has faced tight deadlines.

"There have been years when we ran short," Tart said in a 2017 interview. "We haven't [always] been able to give as many toys as we would like."

He added, "We'd like to give everybody at least three toys."

The Durham Rescue Mission serves the Durham community all year, providing basic needs and assistance for local families. During the holidays, they try to go the extra mile. They believe toys are necessary for children to enjoy the holidays and create good memories.

This year, a few shelves in the back of the storage area are full, but the shelves up front are still empty. According to Tart, the toys should fill all the shelves, and even overflow onto the floor.

They've made a call for donations on their Facebook page, and are waiting hopefully for the Christmas spirit to fill their shelves once again.

Volunteering and charity should be year-round

Many other local nonprofits, including The Salvation Army, are also still in need. Major Al Newsome says he's hopeful people will come through.

"One issue," said Newsome, Area Commander for The Salvation Army, "is that there is need in this community, and it's not until the holidays that the need is highlighted."

Many local nonprofits see an upswing in volunteers and donations during the holidays, while visibility and engagement declines during the rest of the year.

Tart says he would welcome more year-round giving; in fact, he says it personally will do him some good.

"There is always a need," he said. "We can never have too much."