Shanin Baisch wakes up hours before the sun rises for her job as a bus driver with the Deptford Township School District.
After making her way through the township shuttling students to school, she heads down to Clarksboro organizing Christmas presents. Or she’s out shopping for presents for children in need.
After a few short hours, she’s back in Deptford Township, driving students back home from school.
“Then I go home and try to take care of my family and then get up the next day to do it all over again,” Baisch said.“It’s good because I don’t like to sit around. As long as I stay busy, I’m good.”
Baisch’s work ethic and generosity of her time and energy are welcome traits to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, which is celebrating its 28th year in bringing the joy of Christmas to less fortunate children throughout America through the collection of new toys from November through January. Shanin and her husband, Kevin Baisch, Marine Corps veteran, have been the coordinators of Gloucester County’s Toys for Tots campaign for the last three years.
The Deptford Township residents had a productive and busy Thanksgiving weekend. On Friday, they hosted a “Stuff the Bus” event outside the Deptford Mall, filling up a school bus with toys, followed by a “Stuff the Van” event Saturday outside of Five Below at the Deptford Landing shopping center
“It was crazy, we were out Thanksgiving night at Walmart doing Black Friday shopping, out again on Friday over at the mall shopping,” Shanin said.
Gloucester County’s Toys for Tots central facility is in Clarksboro, but there are more than a dozen collection sites throughout the township, including the United Way of Gloucester County (454 Crown Point Road, Thorofare), outside of the Disney Store (which is donating $5 to the Toys for Tots for each donation they receive from Nov. 29 to Dec. 15) and Tony Luke’s inside the Deptford Mall, and at several Wireless Zone locations, among other spots. You can see the list at wenonah-nj.toysfortots.org.
The Baisches anticipate receiving more than 1,000 requests from families in need for toys but their goal is to reach 20,000 children. They received around 77,000 toys for just over 15,000 children in Gloucester County last winter.
“We appreciate the generosity of the people from Gloucester County,” said Kevin, who had to buy an enclosed trailer to help store all of the toys that have been delivered to his house to the cause in recent years. “Whether it’s monetary donations or gift giving, it seems like every year they come out for us in a big way. It’s amazing how much they come through for us.”
Shanin and Kevin may by the coordinators but they have a sizable group of volunteers that helps run the Gloucester County Toys for Toys efforts effectively and efficiently. Barry, Amanda, and Connor Baisch, three of their seven children, are among those who have joined the cause.
“My mom, Ginny and my sister, Dawn, who lives with mom in Oak Valley,” Shanin said, trying to make sure the credit was spread around. “Carol and Frank Wexler, a former Marine. Tom Parker, another from the Marines. He picks up all the Toys, logistics. There are so many others, Lorraine, Joan, Jim …”
It takes an army. Or a group of former Marines and their families.
But the time they put forth each holiday season is well worth the smiles they see when the toys they’ve collected are handed out to the people who appreciate them the most.
“The feeling is just so, so happy and thankful to be able to see us giving joy to the children,” Shanin said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling knowing you’re helping a family to see a child smile on Christmas morning. The hardest times are when you see the moms and dads come and it’s something they specifically asked for and they cry. You get goosebumps, knowing you did something extreme for them.”
