Atec’s Annual Toys for Tots Drive

Caroline BennittAtec in the Community

To whom much is given, much will be expected.” As Atec President Paul Fenley asserted during this month’s company meeting, that is our guiding philosophy when it comes to giving back: we’ve been given a lot, so it should come as no surprise that we give a lot back. One can look at Atec’s 2014 Toys for Tots toy drive as one such example.

Through the gift of giving, the mission of Toys for Tots is to inspire kids in need and to deliver a positive message of hope to families of limited means. For almost 15 years, Atec Purchasing Manager Karen Stroud has been overseeing Atec’s participation in the toy drive and ensuring that their mission continues. Karen says that her son, a Marine, was the initial inspiration for her involvement with Toys for Tots.

For the past few weeks, our toy donation bins in the break room were rapidly filling up.

When we asked Karen about the donation process, she stated that anything helps, but it was important to keep practicality in mind:

“The toys don’t even have to be fancy,” she said, “sure you can give a child a remote-controlled car; but what are they going to do when the batteries run out?”

And, of course, if time absolutely couldn’t be spared to shop around for a toy, monetary donations were also readily accepted (Karen used the proceeds to purchase more toys to add to the collection).

The Pick-Up

During the company meeting, a Toys for Tots representative – USMC Corporal Jall – dropped in to load up the collection of toys and make a bunch of Fort Bend children very happy this upcoming Christmas.

Before leaving, Corporal Jall expressed his gratitude for our help in the drive, noting that despite the fact that we’re a pretty small company, we delivered a surprising turnout this year.

After all the toys were loaded, we asked an emotional Karen what she thought of this year’s drive.

“Atec rocks when it comes to Toys for Tots.” she exclaimed. “We had quite the haul. I’m very happy!”

As always, we’re honored to collaborate with our partners at Toys for Tots. And as our roots in the community continue to grow, we look forward to even more giving opportunities.

From all of us here at Atec: Happy holidays!