She began as a middle schooler, now she’s a teacher – and after 11 years, she has no plans whatsoever to stop.
This week DHS alum Amber Dillenkoffer will be holding her 11th annual Christmas toy drive and giveaway for children, making the holidays that much happier for each recipient. This is the fifth year since it’s become a larger annual event – “Amber’s Reason for the Season Toy Drive” – and it has become an annual highlight for the 22-year-old and recent graduate of Southeastern – she has returned home from Hammond and teaches 5th grade math at Ethel Schoeffner Elementary School.
This year, Dillenkoffer is partnering with St. Charles United Methodist Church and Greater St. Charles NAACP to present this year’s giveaway, which will be Saturday at United Methodist Church in Destrehan from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There will be a meet and greet with Santa along with letters to Santa and crafts at the giveaway. No sign up is required. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Dillenkoffer sets a goal to top herself in terms of toys collected each year. That personal drive has resulted in more than 6,000 gifts to local children since 2015.
“The one constant has been the amazing support of this community,” Dillenkoffer said. “I do collect the toys, but this isn’t anything I could ever do alone – a lot of people make it possible.”
This has become a passion of hers, all starting with a pageant she entered at the age of 12. The event involved donating toys, which sounded fun to her.
“OK, so maybe 50 toys,” she said. “But it ended up being 125.”
When she began this journey, she would collect each toy as they were pledged – a call might come in with intentions to donate, and Dillenkoffer’s mother would drive her to go collect the toy in person.
It’s a more streamlined process these days, with drop boxes for gifts and businesses around the parish helping gather the donated toys. But it’s also a much larger endeavor. Dillenkoffer remembers when she could store the toys at her home until the giveaway day. There are simply too many for that now.
All of it has been the continuation of a discovery she’d found about herself as she became more and more involved with volunteering with her church – service truly agreed with her, and helping others made her feel good.
“It became a really big part of my life, really quick,” Dillenkoffer said.
The next year, there was no pageant, but she still wanted to do the toy collection.
“I took it seriously,” she said. “It wasn’t just a contest … I was really passionate about it.”
“I feel blessed to be the person who can do this to serve her community, and it’s been so amazing every year,” Dillenkoffer said. “I’m so thankful I get to do this. And my community never ceases to amaze me in how willing they are to help.”
Last year, the 10th of her drive, Dillenkoffer collected more than 1,500 toys.
“I want to do this as long as I possibly can,” Dillenkoffer said. “It fills my heart every single year.”
