Toys for Tots in Pearl River County is starting the effort to gather enough donations to ensure families in need can provide a bright Christmas for their children.

Theresa Milar, the coordinator for Toys for Tots locally, said that donation boxes are going out into the community this week.

Donations can also be made monetarily by purchasing paper trains at various retailers throughout the Picayune area. Toy donations should be new and unwrapped and can be dropped off at any of the various businesses that are hosting a drop off location.

Any family that is in need of toys for Christmas can register by filling out an application on one of two dates. The parent or guardian will need to provide the birth certificate of each child in the family, along with proof of residency in Pearl River County. If the guardian is not the biological parent, then documentation to that effect would be required.

Application signup dates will be Nov. 29, 2021 and Dec. 4 2021 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the World Outreach Church, located at 900 Cayten St., in Picayune.

For more information, call 601-590-2299.

Some of the locations where toy donations can be made include local area Dollar Generals, Family Dollars, the Senior Center of South Pearl River County, Jacob’s Well, Riverbanks Engraving, Dixie Que, Picayune Police Department, both Early Head Start locations, Picayune Chiropractic, Moore Chiropractic, Walmart and most car dealerships.

Paper trains can be purchased at Delta World Tire, IHOP, Kelly’s Po-Boys, El Mariachi, Ward’s, Tobacco Shack, Paul’s Pastry, Putnam’s, American Legion and the VFW.