Bruce Benly, a veteran in charge of the local Toys for Tots program, is also a regular customer at Arnie’s Arts ‘N’ Crafts, a block-long arts and crafts store offering custom embroidery, custom graphics and custom framing in Houghton Lake, Michigan.
On a recent shopping trip he mentioned to staff that Toys for Tots was receiving more requests for arts and crafts, science kits and other activity-inspiring toys for the children; with the pandemic, there was a lot more need than usual, but donations were down. As we know, parents and children are hungry for arts and craft kits, activity-based toys and something creative to pass the time!
With an expanded selection of Children’s & Gifts on hand, Arnie’s staff saw a connection. They decided to start a toy drive, which resulted in over 100 arts, crafts and science kits. When they reached out to their MacPherson’s Account Manager, Christy McCollum, she worked with our warehouse team to donate 62 additional kits. We were happy to partner with them to support the important work of connecting children to joyful, creative experiences!
“We had received such wonderful support from our community and customers that we wanted to give something back,” Arnie’s owner Robin Mester said. “We felt this was the perfect opportunity to help those in need in our area; this year has been a challenge for everyone and we were pleased to help a very good cause. Here’s hoping for a much better 2021!”
Do you have a story you’d like to share with your community? A silver lining from pandemic times? Something your staff are looking forward to? Share it with Art Dog, email us at artdogblog (@) macphersonart.com.
