“We’re very similar in a lot of ways,” Karen Barrow said. “[Thomas is] very organized and on top of everything. My only words of advice to her were to make sure she learns to delegate some of the tasks.”
“They were also awarded a cash prize of $1,000 to go toward a charity of their choosing,” Thomas previously wrote. “Without skipping a beat, the Barrows donated their prize to Sedona Toys for Tots. For the first time in the program’s history, Sedona Toys for Tots [participated] in the TFT Foundation’s Literacy Program. Books [were] provided to students of West Sedona School just before school [let] out for summer.”
Thomas said that expanding the Toys for Tots bicycle program beyond West Sedona School is one of her long-term goals. She completed a two-day training course in St. Louis, Mo., in preparation for her new role.
“I know she’s going to do a super job, enthusiastic and a great personality,” Leonard Barrow said.
“I’ve always been the kind of the person who gets involved with a lot of things since [my husband and I] moved to Sedona,” Thomas said. “I’m a volunteer for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Project Fill the Need Food Bank.”
Thomas said that she was prompted to volunteer with Toys for Tots four years ago after seeing a collection box that reminded her of her son, a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan.
Prior to coming to Sedona, Thomas met her current husband, James, in 2003 in southern California.
“We were both divorced, and we both had busy schedules, so we met on Yahoo! Personals,” Thomas said. “We were the early adopters of online dating. I grew up in Redondo Beach, and when I met [James] and we got married, we moved to the Redlands area.”
Thomas worked for the Oracle Corporation for 21 years as a sales analyst before retiring.
“I like to get involved,” she said. “When we were back in California, we used to wrap gifts at Christmas for the local charity. It’s that makes me feel good.”
“I’m in a lot of clubs here in Sedona, I’m part of the Red Rock Quilters Guild,” Thomas said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she sewed face masks for SedonaKind. “I like to do needlepoint. I love to bake. My husband and I like to cook, it’s our entertainment.”
Thomas added that she has been putting her stitching skills to work crafting blankets and stuffed animals for the grandchildren of her friends, and that her biggest concern regarding Sedona Toys for Tots is the fundraising side of the operation.
“Even though we’re part of the Toys for Tots Foundation, each campaign is responsible for raising their own funds to run their own campaign. We don’t get funding from the foundation,” Thomas said. “My biggest worry is not having enough money to purchase the toys and Karen all last year and all this year has kept telling me, ‘Don’t worry because Sedona always comes through.’”
Thomas said her biggest goal for 2024 was to avoid losing momentum for the program.
“We had 1,111 children served last year,” Thomas said. “I want to have at least that or more and to not fall short on toys. I just want to meet the same program that the Barrows had.” “We are also looking for volunteers to help,” Thomas wrote. “We need help with everything from bagging toys to assembling bikes, delivering bags … or facilitating food for volunteers on big distribution days. These opportunities can be found on the Sedona Toys for Tots website.”
Thomas is currently finalizing the list of Toy Drop sites and is looking for additional local businesses and organizations that would like to volunteer to host a collection box.
To make donating easier, the boxes will include QR codes this year that will allow people to contribute financially or purchase toys from an online wishlist.
An additional way to contribute to Sedona Toys for Tots is the Italian Dinner Fundraiser at Sedona Winds on Sunday, Nov. 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. Dinner is $50 per person and attendees must RSVP to Terry Williams by Tuesday, Nov. 5, at (928) 284-1021.
The annual Sedona Toys for Toys “Stuff the Bus” event will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Hub at Posse Grounds Park. Unwrapped toys for children up to the age of 14 will be accepted with the goal of filling a Sedona Shuttle bus to capacity.
The group also needs donations of 42- gallon and 55-gallon trash bags as well as box cutters, packing tape, glue sticks and bottled water. Residents in need of assistance from Sedona Toys for Tots must complete an online application before Sunday, Dec. 13.
“[My] vision for Toys for Tots is growth,” Thomas said. “It’s a shame that we have children in need. It would be nice if we didn’t have children in need, but I want to make sure that we get every single child that wants and needs a toy [gets one].”
For more information about Sedona Toys for Tots, visit sedona-az.toysfortots.org. Contact Thomas at Sedona.az@toysfortots.org or (909) 747-4877.
