For families who have lost everything in a home fire, the holiday season can feel especially heavy. So again this year, the American Red Cross partnered with the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) through the Spark of Love program to deliver toys, trees, and holiday cheer to children whose families are rebuilding after devastating losses.
Red Cross volunteers helped sort the mountain of toys that arrived at the Toy Central warehouse and then, using wish-lists provided by the kids and their parents, shopped the warehouse to ensure that everyone received gifts especially tailored to their holiday dreams.
Over the past few weeks, Logistic Team volunteers have been picking up donated toys from fire stations across the County and delivering these loads to Toy Central. Just days before Christmas, the team made five trips in one day, ensuring toys reached families who otherwise would have gone without. Among the gifts were Beats Studio Pro headphones for teens, Barbie dolls for young girls, and a life‑sized Bluey plushie for a two‑year‑old who lost all her belongings in a recent home fire.
“We were happy and pleased to be a cog in the wheel of the program that makes the holidays a little bit brighter for the families who suffered losses this past year,” said Logistics’ Team Lead Tony Hoffman. “Volunteering for the Red Cross gives me a sense of purpose and helps me keep it real by staying in touch with the community through blue and gray skies.”
The impact went far beyond toys. One mother, staying with her family in an overcrowded home after a fire, shared that the gifts would be the only presents her children received this year. Volunteers connected her with community resources, including free counseling and rental assistance. Another family, still struggling financially months after their home burned, received not only toys but also wrapping paper, tape, and a small Christmas tree—restoring the joy of the season.
According to Diana Swartz, Client Care Program Lead, “Our partnership with the VCFD’s Spark of Love program means so much more than toys, and it has grown to become an event for our Ventura Territory to support the County.”
What began six years ago as a small collaboration between Red Cross Recovery and Logistics teams has grown into a county‑wide effort supporting VCFD’s mission to provide holiday toys to more than 30,000 under-served children. Together, the Red Cross and VCFD are proving that even after tragedy, hope can be delivered.
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Red Cross Central California Blog 