Ellijay GA

Ellijay/Gilmer County Marine Toys For Tots Campaign

Toys for Tots Coordinator
Mr. Al LeCompte

The Local Impact

Ellijay GA during 2024

12,506
Toys Distributed
1,956
Children Supported


All Donated Toys and Monetary Donations Stay in the County they are Donated In and are used to help Children in that County ONLY.

Location of the Distribution Center For 2025 Campaign: 894 Maddox Drive, Second Floor, Ellijay, Ga. 30540 (this is the second floor of the Truist Bank building.   Do not enter the bank lobby but see signs on how to get to the second floor by elevator or stairs, (which is just inside the front door and before you go though the bank lobby door.)  However there is a white toy collection box in the bank lobby all year long to drop off new donated toys, books and stock stuffers.

Last year/2024 in Gilmer County, Georgia over 1,956 children were given toys and over 8,013 Toys and were collected and wrapped by local US Marines, Church members, Community groups and the General Gilmer County population.  Also, each child from Newborn to 18 years got some stocking stuffers, in addition to their three toys and puzzle or game.  The number of stocking stuffers given out was 19,967 and each child got a stocking with their name on it stuffed with 8-15 stocking stuffers.   Also, from donated books and we were able to distribute 1,500 books.

The outpouring of residents, who wanted to assist with making a Christmas happen for the many children in the county, whose parent(s) or guardian were out of work or just did not have the income to buy anything extra for Christmas for their children, was quite wonderful.  If you would like to volunteer to Christmas gift wrap toys on Wednesdays and Thursdays of each week, starting the first week in November, Please come to the location of our distribution indicated above. 

Since 97 cents out of every dollar has to go directly to buying toys, it should be noted that all of the wrapping paper, gift tags, scotch tape and large black plastic bags, for the bagging of each families toys were donated by businesses and individuals in the community.  The other 3 cents of each dollar goes to promotional materials, and there are no administrative costs, since we are all volunteers.


We are coordinating with other local charity groups, through 'Charity Tracker' in the area, to make sure that each Charitable Group is helping different families, in order to reach all those that are in need.  For Christmas 2025 we are planning to start collecting toys on January 1, (Collection Boxes in the lobby of the second floor of the bank and in the Truist Bank Lobby), and to have several one day events to raise the awareness of the community on the need for their help.   Please see the Event Tab on this web page to see where are Fund Raiser Events will be.   Also, tabs at the top of this page list the locations of TFT Donations Boxes' and were a 'Request for Toys' application may be picked up. Your local North Georgia Marines here in Gilmer Georgia need your help with donations of toys, monetary assistance, and/or your physical labor assistance to make 2025 Christmas --- one that puts a smile on every child's face in Gilmer County, Georgia.  Monetary donation stay in the county were they are donated and toys are bought from national distributors at wholesale prices, that are one half what you would pay on the retail level.   So any monetary donations will buy 2 times as many toys, then what can be purchased locally on the retail toy market.   Anyone wanting to make a monetary donation please do it early this year, as we prefer to buy toys when on sale after different holidays all year long.   We rarely buy toys with funds donated --- at a retail level, but mostly at sales, clearances or from the national wholesale companies prices.