Every Christmas there's a small "pop up" store that affords less fortunate parents with children among us the dignity of a hand-up rather than a hand-out. It's called The Wonderland Toy Store, and it is operated by the Mosaic Christian Community Development Association, who describe it as "an expression of love, creating an affordable shopping experience for families who otherwise might not have been able to provide Christmas for their families."
The location of The Wonderland Toy Store is a secret, and it is only open one weekend per year. Access to the store is by invitation only to pre-selected parents to shop for their children from new toys and gift cards that they can purchase for anywhere from 10-to-20-cents on the dollar. So, by way of example, a brand new $10 toy can be purchased for anywhere from one-to-two dollars.
The reason the toys can be offered in that manner is that all of the toys, games and gift cards are donated to The Wonderland Toy Store and it is manned by volunteers who also gift-wrap the items for each parent in the house.
Tom & Sharon Austin are prime supporters who have invented a creative way to help the operation each year. The Austins own and operate Austin Tax & Financial in St. Joseph and they have crafted a holiday tradition tied to their annual client party hosted at the Vineland Center each year. Over the past several years they have adopted Wonderland as beneficiary of gifts provided by clients of the financial services firm on Red Arrow Highway.
Thanks to donations of nearly 200 toys and more than $2,000 worth of gift cards, Austin clients provided an excellent kick start to Wonderland's shopping adventure which was held December 8th through the 10th with 2,300 individual toys and nearly $10,000 worth of gift cards and cash donations.
The Austin client party was held just days before the Wonderland sale, and as a result almost 800 children (784, to be exact) will receive toys or gift cards this Christmas thanks to the miracle of the Wonderland Toy Store. While it was launched by Mosaic CCDA, the store is supported by many churches, individuals and other organizations who make the store a reality.
Unlike some toy collection efforts where gifts are randomly distributed free of charge, The Wonderland Toy Store affords parents the opportunity to select more targeted gifts in line with their children's wish lists, and allows them the dignity of actually shopping for the toys rather then receiving more generic gifts that can prove to be less meaningful.
The Wonderland Toy Store was born out of the belief that everyone is created in God's image and has something to contribute. Parents with children at home suffering tight finances due to a recent job loss or chronic unemployment situation have enough to worry about with utility bills and other costs, let alone providing Christmas for the family. Fortunately, organizations engaged in tracking those in need provide names for the invitation list to allow for the unique, deeply-discounted, shopping opportunity.
In the photo above, volunteers work to wrap gifts for those purchasing at Wonderland this year, while below the team at Austin Tax & Financial is shown with a broad array of donated items from their annual client party in St. Joe, and below that are photos of some of the happy shoppers.
