Brighton Center and Toy Team 9 help make Christmas dreams come true with free toys for families
Dec 18, 2024
The Brighton Center, located in Newport, Kentucky, spends every day helping the people of the Tri-State who need it most. The organization's mission centers around assisting families to become self-sufficient, by providing support, education, and employment services. Now that the holidays have arrived, the local non-profit focuses on making Christmas wishes come true. You really get to see the work in action, our mission. Were really trying to restore dignity and respect to our families," said Eric Owsley, the Brighton Center's Community Resource Center Director. This week, the Brighton Center is giving families involved in their program a chance to pick free toys to bring home to their children for the holidays. The non-profit toys include 570 donated items from WCPO's Toy Team 9 Holiday Drive. The Toys were collected from generous donors at the Walmart in Florence, Kentucky. The toys available come in all shapes and sizes, with specific labels to let parents know which age group each item is for. "Our community and our donors really shine through this moment, WCPO and the fantastic generosity of Toy Team 9. Corporations and individuals donate new toys for this week's event," Owsley said. Even with thousands of toys available and hundreds of families in need, the non-profit is confident it can meet the demand. "Every year there's a point in this holiday drive where we say we're going to run out of toys but donors always come through in a big way," Owsley added. These toys and the donations at the Brighton Center are helping change lives, including the life of Danielle Cornett, who said she's been coming to the Brighton Center for decades. "It means a whole lot because if it wasn't for this place, my kids wouldn't have maybe a dollar underneath the tree," said Cornett. Cornett was shopping for her two daughters and found their gifts at the Brighton Center. The gifts included a Lilo and Stitch doll and a toy truck. But for Cornett, the services at the Brighton Center go beyond the holiday season, helping keep her on her feet. Cornett said it's meant everything for her daughters as well."They've gotten stability, a home, and a happy mom back," Cornett said. The Brighton Center also gave families a meal kit for their holiday feat. The kit includes sides, fruits, veggies, and a Christmas ham. Donations are still accepted for the nonprofit's holiday drive, click this link to learn more.