WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – An Orange County veteran has spent the past year buying toys, leading up to Giving Tuesday. Her goal is to help foster families this holiday season.
Patricia Bellamy is a disabled Air Force veteran. She said Giving Tuesday means giving back and spreading holiday cheer.
“I wanted to fill up the room where you couldn’t really get in,” said Bellamy. “We grew up in poverty, so I wanted to bring joy and happiness to other children.”
Her husband and 9-year-old son agreed and said it was just the right thing to do.
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“I like it when I help other kids,” said her son, Tiberius Bellamy.
They’ve been buying toys over the past year.
As a former foster parent, Bellamy said it hits home. It’s why she’s spent the last three years donating toys to nonprofits that help foster families.
“If my son can open up gifts on Christmas and be happy, then I know that I can help and I have helped other children feel that same way, then that’s the point of all this,” said Patricia Bellamy.
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They’re simply trying to do their part to help bring smiles and cheer to other kids - and to also be an inspiration for their own son.
“We kind of do it so he knows when he gets older to kind of help when he can and to be a good person,” said Patricia Bellamy.
News 6 was there as an Embrace Families representative showed up to pick up the toys from the Bellamys’ home. They’re a nonprofit that supports foster families and families in need. The toys are all for its annual Holiday Magic toy campaign.
“We are going to bring these to our distribution sites and make it easy for our caregivers to come to us and get these toys, but yes we need about 5,000 toys to meet the needs of our families,” said Embrace Families community engagement director Morgan Clement.
Clement said there really is really a need for toys right now, particularly for kids between 8-12 years old. You can donate on the Embrace Families website.
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