The weather outside might be frightful, and Jack Frost might be nipping at your nose, but nothing warms the spirit like seeing a needy child given a gift for the holidays that he or she might not otherwise have. The winter weather grew a little bit warmer recently when The Charmer Sunbelt Group (CSG) helped collect and distribute toys and food to needy families in Maryland for the third year in a row.

"The Charmer Sunbelt Group set out to find a local organization that we could help during the holidays to bring some joy to disadvantaged children and their families," said Michele Jankowski, payroll manager for business services at CSG who gathered donations and organized volunteers for all three phases of the event. "By partnering with Take Back Our Streets, we are able to reach children from all over Anne Arundel County."

Take Back Our Streets is a local nonprofit organization that collects new, unwrapped toys and distributes them to disadvantaged children.

"Children's names are submitted to the organization from local public schools, churches and other organizations," Jankowski said. “They also collect nonperishable food items that are given to the families towards their holiday meals."

A holiday party was held on Dec. 1 at Michael's Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, during which toys and nonperishable food items were collected. Holiday music, refreshments and pictures with Santa were part of the festivities. Donations were also collected at the CSG offices.

On Dec. 10, volunteers gathered at Abundant Life Church to assist with the sorting and bagging of toys. Sorters were given a "shopping list" for each family, listing the age and gender of each child. The toys were separated by age group. Three toys were picked out for each child age 11 and younger. Those 12 and older received one toy and a $20 gift card. Schools that submitted names of children picked up their toys and distributed them to parents at the schools. The rest of the toys were delivered by volunteers the next day.

"The most enjoyable part for me was delivering the toys to the younger children -- even though they don’t see that we’re bringing them toys," Jankowski said. "I was able to talk to the 2-year-old pictured with her mom [in the last photo below] and ask her if Santa was coming to her house and if she had seen him yet. It’s a joy to see the wonder in their faces!"