Mom Told She Needed To Attend A Church Service To Receive Toys For Tots For Her Son — 'That Is Completely Immoral'
She pointed out that it's absurd she would have to sit through a church service for a religion she doesn't subscribe to.
encierro | Shutterstock A mom recently shared her experience with Toys for Tots, admitting that it was quite unusual. When she arrived at the pickup location at a church, she was told she needed to participate in the service just to get the gifts.
In a TikTok video, the woman, who goes by @i_tried_, explained that she was looking forward to picking up some gifts for her son through Toys for Tots for her son, which can be a great resource for families struggling during the holidays. However, she was appalled at the steps she needed to take just to leave with them.
A mom was told she was required to attend a church service to receive Toys for Tots for her son.
In her video, the mom explained that she'd scheduled a Toys for Tots pickup at an outreach that happened to be located at a church in her area. She arrived a few minutes early, and as she was waiting in her car, she noticed a man from the church walking over to her. He immediately alerted her that the church service was starting soon, and she was more than welcome to come inside where it was warmer.
At first, she assumed she had the wrong pickup location and told him that she wasn't there for the service. The man quickly clarified, telling the mom, "Oh no, no, no. We’re not handing out the toys until after the service. But you can come inside and have a seat."
When she resisted his request, admitting that she didn't think she had to sit through a church service just to receive the toys, he continued to insist that she come inside and that she'd get the toys once the service was over. She firmly declined, telling him that she would just sit in the car until the service was over if that was the case, but she wouldn't attend the service.
She pointed out that she wasn't even a Christian in the first place.
Even though she attempted to dissuade the man from continuing to pressure her into attending the service because she wasn't religious, he remained persistent. In her video, she insisted that she refused to just be "another body filling a seat" and that she simply wanted her Toys for Tots, which is completely understandable.
Toys for Tots isn't even a religiously affiliated charity. According to their website, the organization has its roots in the Marine Corps. Founded in 1947, it was actually started by the wife of a Marine Corps Reserve Major who had handcrafted some toys she wanted to donate to needy children.
Leonard Zhukovsky | Shutterstock
Although churches can organize toy drives for Toys for Tots, requiring recipients to attend service in order to receive the toys seems like it would go against the organization's core values: "to assist the U. S. Marine Corps in providing a tangible sign of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas." There is absolutely no religious component to that.
Forcing church services on someone in need seems to go against the core fundamental beliefs of any religion.
No one should ever feel obligated to participate in a religious service just to receive any type of aid, resources, or goods. She made it very clear to this church member that she was only here to collect toys and that she would honestly feel uncomfortable having to come in and participate in a worship service that didn't align with her views and ideology.
It's frankly inappropriate behavior and ignores the fact that everyone has different beliefs and systems to which they subscribe. An organization as well-known as Toys for Tots and all it stands for, access should never be denied to someone just because they refuse to follow a religion.
While this isn't necessarily Toys for Tots' fault as a charitable foundation, the actions of something like this reflect on them.
"Why are you forcing people to sit in your congregation to receive their Toys for Tots?" the mom questioned. And she is absolutely right.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.