LifestyleHoliday

Actions

Generous Wellington moms collect toys for children in need

Mom's Club of Wellington hosting toy drive to provide gifts for nearly 900 children
The Mom's Club of Wellington collects toys for children in need, Dec. 21, 2022.jpg
Posted at 5:10 PM, Dec 21, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-21 17:10:37-05

WELLINGTON, Fla. — Never underestimate a mom on a mission, let alone a group of moms.

A mom group based in Wellington is making sure every child has something to unwrap this holiday season.

SPECIAL COVERAGE: Holiday

It looks like Santa’s workshop, but it's actually Aimee Stern’s home.

"Everybody pulls together and it shows how strong a community we have," Stern said.

The presents filling her home are not for her family, but for strangers she's never met across Palm Beach County.

"There are so many people in need," Stern said. "Just with the rents going up and cost of living going up, everything going up. There’s a lot of need this year."

Stern runs the Mom's Club of Wellington Facebook page, which is 15,000 strong.

Through word of mouth and social media, Stern is providing gifts for nearly 900 children this year. But she's not doing it alone.

Moms like Viviana Leal are bringing donations every day.

"This is a community. We have a lot of resources," Leal said. "But we have people without resources, and the people with resources have to step up. It’s important."

This network is strong with a team of elves busy wrapping and sorting gifts for days. For Melissa Borriello, it's personal.

"I remember a time in my life when I could have used some help," Borriello said. "And since that feeling doesn’t ever go away and you’ll remember that forever, so you want to help when you can."

It's a complete grassroots effort with hundreds of mama bears making sure every child has the magic of Christmas.

"It sounds a lot like love to me, and good-hearted people who want to give back," Borriello said.

If you want to donate to the effort, contact Stern at 561-504-1814 or through Mom's Club of Wellington Facebook page by clicking here.

This is the sixth year for the toy drive and Stern said she is seeing the most requests for help.