WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES | 4th Annual WIS Holiday Toy Drive

BREAKING NEWS | 4th Annual WIS Holiday Toy Drive

December 22, 2008- Corona, CA

Each year, WIS seeks out ways to give back to the community. This year, in addition to donating to and volunteering at the 27th annual Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation Christmas Celebration in Loma Linda on December 7th, WIS is both proud and pleased to hold its 4th annual holiday toy drive. Over 100 toys were donated by WIS employees and their families in the spirit of the season and in hopes to bring a smile to less fortunate children this holiday season.

WIS is pleased to donate toys from this year’s toy drive to The Alternatives to Domestic Violence (ADV), a local organization in Corona which makes giving to people far less fortunate and in less ideal circumstances a year-long priority. The toys helped make the ADV’s annual Holiday Store event a success.

The ADV operates out of the heart of Corona and reaches hundreds of women and children every year who are facing the consequences of violence in their homes. The ADV’s mission is to improve the quality of life for these families and create hope by ending the cycle of domestic violence through services and education for residents of Riverside County. The organization provides victims of domestic violence with alternative ways of dealing with physical and/or emotional abuse through education, counseling, shelter, non-judgmental emotional support, legal advocacy and housing assistance; all in an effort to increase community awareness of the problem of domestic violence.

One day every year, the ADV office is transformed into a winter wonderland resembling Santa’s workshop, complete with tree and stockings. Each office is converted into a store front for different ages of children and filled with donated toys and gifts. During the Holiday Store event, mothers are given the opportunity to “go shopping” for their kids free of charge and select items personally for each of them. Another office is just for kids and is filled with gifts they can choose for their moms. “Most of them have never been able to do that.” says Director Kim Taylor. “Because of the violence they have experienced in their families, most of them have rarely, if ever, celebrated Christmas. It’s nice to be able to provide for them in that way.” The ADV workshop is complete with a wrapping station where volunteers assist so that the gifts selected can be taken home and placed under the family tree.

Over 80 families visited this year’s Holiday Store event between December 18 and December 20 and WIS is delighted and thankful to have the opportunity to contribute and be a part of this wonderful event which helped bring joy to so many families this holiday season.

WIS decorates its office in the spirit of the holidays	Toys donated by WIS employees
WIS staff takes a break from loading up the toys to pose for a picture	Back to work, the children are waiting...
WIS sleigh is loaded and ready to go	One of the rooms set up for mother’s to “shop” for toys for their kids
Paul and Frankie stop to take a picture with Gina Graham, ADV Holiday Store coordinator and violence prevention specialist