Angie’s Toy Chest gets new location

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Angie’s Toy Chest has a new location on Harper Avenue and members are happy with the new development.

Angie D’Aleo Morelli, Angie’s Toy Chest executive director, said the organization has been in the Shores since 2017 and moved to the new location two months ago. They originally started in Fraser in 1993. She said it’s been a wonderful experience in the city so far.

“They’ve welcomed us with open arms,” D’Aleo Morelli said.

“And we’re happy to finally have an office in the Shores,” said Brandon Fromm, Angie’s Toys Chest vice president and managing director.

Previously, D’Aleo Morelli said she’s been running the organization out of her basement. Everything in the office was donated from members in the St. Clair Shores community and surrounding communities.

“We did not buy one thing for this office,” D’Aleo Morelli said. “Amazing. When people heard that we were moving in and that we were a charity, they reached out.”

Both D’Aleo Morelli and Fromm said the Lakeshore Kiwanis donated a lot to them because they recently closed their office in the Pare Elementary School building in the South Lake School District.

A grand opening will be hosted at 12:30 p.m. on July 31 at the new Angie’s Toy Chest location at 24840 Harper Avenue.

Angie’s Toy Chest is a branch of the United States Marines Corps-founded Toys for Tots nonprofit. The organization started in 1947 when Col. Bill Hendricks’ wife wanted to donate a handmade doll to a needy child. After a long search, D’Aleo Morelli said, Hendricks asked his fellow U.S. Marines to help give toys away to needy children. The first year, they donated around 150 toys to children in need and Toys for Tots was born out of the growing need for toys.

D’Aleo Morelli’s first party had 75 people and at the most she had around 1,200. In 2002, D’Aleo Morelli was awarded a civilian medal from the Marines for her work.

The new office space has rooms to create baskets, storage for the donations and more. Though the office still needs a few more things, it is open to the public.

D’Aleo Morelli said she believes every child should wake up on Christmas to a bike. Both her and Fromm said they would like to line the whole office with bicycles to give away to needy children.

Fromm said there will be a toy drop at the office location and the hours will be posted on the door soon.

“Almost every day somebody’s here and in the last quarter of the year we’ll be here every day,” Fromm said.

Their main event each year is the Christmas Gala, and it is hosted on Dec. 4 this year. The celebration will be big because the United States Marine Corps is celebrating its 250th birthday on Nov. 10. Earlier this year, the United States Navy and the United States Army also celebrated 250 years. In two years, the Toys for Tots organization will celebrate its 80th birthday.

D’Aleo Morelli said that their liaison is looking for the youngest and oldest Marine in Macomb County to honor them.

“We will have a birthday cake celebration where the Marines will cut the cake with their swords,” D’Aleo Morelli said.

“This is in front of everybody. This is the opening,” Fromm said.

Each year at the gala, they try to honor a Marine who has passed away.

They will also be raffling off a Kia at the gala.

For more information, go to AngiesToyChest.org or email info@angiestoychest.org.