Photo courtesy of the Office of Rep. Frank Burns, from its 2026 toy-drive announcement. Image date not specified.

Cambria County residents can help brighten a child’s Christmas through a holiday toy drive with two familiar local drop-off locations.

State Rep. Frank Burns is partnering with Toys for Tots to collect new, unwrapped toys through November 30.

Donations can be taken to his Johnstown office at 535 Fairfield Avenue in Lower Yoder Township or his Ebensburg office at 123 West High Street.

Residents with local donation questions can call 814-536-8400 for Johnstown or 814-472-8021 for Ebensburg.

Call before a special trip to confirm when staff can receive your donation.

Choose a gift with a child in mind

The request is straightforward: bring a new toy and leave it unwrapped.

Before shopping, think about the kind of gift a child in your own family would enjoy and choose something appropriate to its intended age group.

Toys for Tots’ national guidance encourages that personal approach rather than relying on one fixed shopping list.

For older children, its suggestions include books, sporting items, board games, backpacks and other age-appropriate gifts.

Check with the local campaign if you have questions about a particular item or the ages it currently serves.

National guidance excludes realistic-looking weapons and gifts containing food.

Checking those details first helps make a donation useful to the people sorting and distributing it.

A local effort within a national program

Toys for Tots works through local campaigns, with coordinators arranging collection and distribution in their communities.

The national foundation provides support, while community partners help connect donations with children.

Businesses can contribute in several ways, including collection space, storage, transportation and toy-raising events.

Neighbors who want to organize something larger should contact their local campaign before announcing a drive.

That conversation helps establish how collections will be handled and where the toys should go.

The November 30 deadline applies to the collection at Burns’ offices; other locations or programs may operate on different schedules.

A tradition that started with handmade dolls

The program began in 1947 after Diane Hendricks asked her husband, Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks, to find a way to deliver dolls to children in need.

When he could not find an organization to do it, the couple’s idea became the starting point for a new effort.

Marines in his Los Angeles reserve unit collected and distributed thousands of toys that first year.

The campaign expanded nationally in 1948, and the familiar train logo grew out of a poster designed by Walt Disney.

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation was established in 1991 to support the program’s operation.

Its mission centers on using a gift to bring children joy and a tangible message of hope.

Need help instead of making a donation?

Families seeking toys should use the official local-campaign finder and follow the application information for their area.

Donation drop-off information does not establish eligibility, registration deadlines or distribution arrangements for families.

Confirm those details directly with the local coordinator rather than assuming a visit to a collection office is an application.

For donors, a simple plan works well: choose a suitable new gift, confirm your drop-off arrangements and deliver it before the office collection ends.

Consider sharing the verified addresses and deadline with a friend who has been looking for a manageable way to help.

A thoughtful gift and a little planning can turn an ordinary November errand into a moment of holiday kindness for a local child.

Sources and helpful links: Local collection announcement · Gift and assistance guidance · How local campaigns work · Program history · Program mission