On December 24, 2014, a few of the middle school Global Issues Network club members delivered toys to Tokyo Baptist Church in Daikanyama and The Salvation Army in Ebisu.

Middle school GIN club members, Kenzie (8), Tisha (8), Reema (8), Modhur (8), Sarina (7), and Ena (8), decided to organize a Toy Drive for the kids in temporary housing in Tohoku due to the March 11, 2011 triple disaster.

Gathering the toys for the Toy Drive was a total success and they ended up collecting five nearly full boxes of toys. The variety of stuffed animals, toy cars, games, and puzzles were challenging to sort.

“We were so happy that many people contributed to the Toy Drive!” Tisha(8) said.

The GIN members continued searching for organizations that would take these toys to Tohoku. They realized they had missed the deadline of most organizations and had just missed the deadline of the organization, Yoyo Market.

Mr. Gray, the GIN club sponsor, introduced the girls to the idea of donating the toys to an orphanage. Since Tohoku was no longer an option, the group eventually decided to try donating these toys to children in an orphanage five minutes away from the school.

On the day of the delivery, some of the members, Kenzie, Tisha, Modhur, and Ena, met at the school gates to finally deliver the boxes. Aeri (8) although not a member of the GIN club helped carry the boxes.

The GIN members had to think fast when the Toy Drive made a turn, “We called them and even walked to the orphanage, but they wouldn’t take the toys,” said Kenzie(8).

“We also realized that we couldn’t carry these boxes by hand so we had to call Kenzie’s dad,” Tisha (8) said.

Mr. Phillips drove to the school to pick up the boxes. While the girls were brainstorming ideas on where to drop the toys off, Mr. Phillips came up with the idea of donating the toys to the Salvation army in Ebisu and Tokyo Baptist Church in Daikanyama.

“I offered to help because it was important for the ISSH students to deliver the gifts to the kids that were less fortunate,” Mr. Phillips said.

“Kenzie’s dad drove the boxes to the Salvation Army in Ebisu, while we took the subway from Hiroo to Ebisu station,” Modhur (8) said.

When they got to the Salvation Army, they called them to ask if they could take the toys inside, but no one would answer. They tried ringing the doorbell, but again, nobody answered. The students decided to leave a note and a few boxes of toys at their doorstep.

The members were back on the streets and on to their next destination: Tokyo Baptist Church. “The walk from the Salvation Army to Tokyo Baptist Church was only about 20 minutes, but when we got there we were all exhausted,” said Kenzie(8).

They got to the church and they carried the boxes from the car to the church.

“We desperately asked the people working at the church if they would take the toys,” Aeri(8) said. According to the GIN members, the church happily took the toys in. The church members told the girls that they would send the toys with mission teams going up to Tohoku or down to the Philippines.

What has happened to the donated toys is not yet known.

In the end, the GIN members almost got what they wanted. They were able to donate the toys to churches who could distribute them to children.

“Next time I organize a Toy Drive, I would probably search for an organization that would take the toys before I start collecting the toys,” Tisha(8) said.

“We should have been more prepared, but I’m glad we were able to donate the toys to churches!” said Reema (8).