Stuff the Ambulance

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

On October 22, 2013, an idea was sparked that impacted over four hundred people. A county EMS (Emergency Medical Services) paramedic suggested an annual "Stuff the Ambulance" toy drive to help children in Rutherford County have a great Christmas. From there, around one hundred county employees got involved through promotion, Christmas parades, donations, staffing collection sites and distributing toys to children. EMS partnered with the Department of Social Services (DSS), the Cooperative Extension county office, Wal-Mart, the United Way and a rescue crew in the Lake Lure area of the county. DSS suggested distributing toys to the foster children they work with on a daily basis. The Cooperative Extension office also had needs from citizens in their support group "Grandparents Raising Grandkids". In just eight short weeks, 2,200 toys were delivered to over 400 foster children and grandchildren being raised by their grandparents. County employees established a program that could be easily replicated on an annual basis. Teamwork was built between county departments which would normally have not interacted with each other.