Turnout low as Kids Yule Love debuts service requirement

Turnout was lower than usual Thursday as parents got their first chance to sign up to receive toys at Christmas from Kids Yule Love at Bloomfield Park.

Registration was held earlier than past years to give parents a chance to complete four hours of community service, a requirement for the first time in the program’s 30 years. Founder Joe Allen was hopeful that the low turnout -- about 30 parents as opposed to more than 100 in years past -- was due more to timing than the community service, but he was still disappointed.

“It’s just proving a point, something I didn’t want to believe,” he said. “I hope next week proves me wrong.”

Another sign-up is scheduled for next Thursday at 6 p.m. at North Macon Park, and Allen said an additional Macon date might be set if turnout is still low. Registration for families in other counties is scheduled at the organization’s warehouse in Byron on Sept. 13 at 3 p.m.

The community service requirement has two missions. The first is that the added effort, along with the organization removing bar codes from toys, would hopefully deter parents from returning the toys for cash, a problem in years past.

The other is to remove some of the stigma from receiving help from a charity.

“You have worked to give those items to your children,” Allen said. “Nobody gave you anything.”

The work will be organized through Volunteer Macon, and parents can help out at churches, schools, day cares or other community establishments. Parents won’t be asked to go anywhere they’re not comfortable, and Volunteer Macon Executive Director Gigi Rolfs said the aim was to have a “positive experience” helping out.

“I think it’s a wonderful way to get everyone thinking and getting involved in their community as an active citizen,” she said.

Parents like Tomeika Denson, who has six children ranging from ages 5 to 16, noticed that the crowd was lower this year, but she wasn’t deterred by the new requirement. Allen was encouraged that most, if not all, of the parents who showed up stuck around after hearing the details of the community service.

“When it comes to my kids, I’d do anything anyway,” Denson said.

Denson said she was going to try to volunteer at Burdell-Hunt Elementary School, where two of her children attend. She wanted to look into being a bus monitor where her children wait for the school bus.

“It’s rough up there,” she said.

Another participant and parent of six, Databatha Redding, recognized the hesitation others might have to participate given the requirements, but she also understood the reasoning for the move.

“If you think that someone should do something for your kids, if they ask you to volunteer, you should do it,” she said.

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331 or find him on Twitter@MTJTimm.

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 8:39 PM with the headline "Turnout low as Kids Yule Love debuts service requirement ."