TODAY WAS A SPECIAL DAY AT GLEANING

Today was a really special day for our Gleaning family. 

You may have heard that our long-time friend and 19 year employee of Gleaning, Steve Bryant, was tragically killed while riding his motorcycle to our warehouse earlier this year.

In his obituary, his family asked for financial donations to be made in his memory to Gleaning For The World. We were so grateful for that gesture, and we wanted to make sure we did something that would honor Steve’s commitment to Gleaning For The World. 

Today is the day it all came together. 

Anybody who knew Steve knew that he loved kids. Every weekend, Steve would be at ball games or family gatherings spending time with his children and grandchildren. So, not surprisingly, one of the programs that Steve was especially fond of at Gleaning is our Teddy Bear Brigade. 

Through our Teddy Bear Brigade, we accept new and gently loved stuffed animals that are carefully packed into boxes by our volunteers, then delivered to our partners worldwide who give them to children facing some of life’s most unimaginable circumstances; natural disasters; poverty; war; loss of a parent, or even both parents…

We don’t consider these “stuffies” as mere toys; we know they bring comfort and a smile to a child’s face.  That’s why we’re dedicating an entire tractor trailer of stuffed animals and brand new toys to orphanages and poor communities throughout Central and Latin America. 

Everything from basketballs, soccer balls, baby-dolls, puzzles, sidewalk chalk, coloring books, educational toys (and so much more!) were packed into boxes and onto pallets and sent in addition to the thousands of stuffed animals collected this year in our Teddy Bear Brigade. 

So, today was the day. Today, we invited the Bryant family to join us as we loaded this tractor trailer in memory and in honor of our friend Steve. It’s been five months since Steve’s passing, and the loss is still great here at Gleaning and within his family as well. 

Every load we send out is important, but this one is just extra special. Just like Steve’s daughter, Stephanie, said today as the truck arrived to be loaded with 20,372 stuffed animals and thousands more toys for kids in need, “It is inspiring to know how many people he affected, and is still affecting.”

Thousands of children will receive a smile from this shipment, and that’s the best way we could honor the memory of our friend, Steve Bryant. 

Click Here To Learn More About The Toy Drive From WSLS

In Service & Partnership,