A row of shelves for toys for children aged 5 to 6. 

RUSSELLVILLE – For more than 50 years, there has been a seasonal community effort in Logan County to bring Christmas to people in need.

Mike Humble, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Agape Service Foundation Inc., said that during Brother Joe’s Family Christmas, volunteers make donations to help provide food and presents to families who need a little help. “We don’t like to see children without a present,” he said. “There’s enough problems as it is.”

Humble said Brother Joe Carrico of Post Oak Baptist Church started the program, which is focused on providing toys and food to the needy in Logan County, in 1954 and oversaw it until his retirement in 1994.

For a while, the program was called Toys for Tots, but it was not affiliated with the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots, Humble said.

Fear of legal action eventually led to the annual effort being renamed Brother Joe’s Family Christmas.

“He started out doing it with his church, then others join(ed) in,” Humble said. “It’s a community effort. A lot of people work together to pull it off.”

When Carrico retired in 1994, Agape took over the program, he said.

“We inherited this program, and it’s grown a lot since then,” he said. “We’ll see a few hundred kids every year.”

Normally, the Carrico Center in Russellville is filled with racks of clothes that people with a legitimate need can take.

During the Christmas season, however, only a few racks of clothes are in plain sight. Throughout the main part of the building, all manner of toys, from baby dolls to stuffed animals to soccer balls and toy cars, crowd the limited shelving space.

Sue Powell, a volunteer with Brother Joe’s Family Christmas for 17 years, said parents who prove financial need can pick a few items for each of their children.

“Mothers will not be charged,” she said. “There’s no way we would charge a dime for anything, and so they get to choose what toys they want for their children. For each child, they choose at least three or four brand-new toys.”

Teresa Richey, who’s been volunteering with the program for 18 years, said parents choose a date in December to shop, from Dec. 5 to Christmas Day, and can also receive a box of canned food.

“Mom or Dad comes and meets with me next door. (They) are walked through and they get their toys. They get a food box if they want one,” she said.

Parents can apply for the chance to pick out a few presents for their kids, though Agape also works with local family resource and youth service centers to identify parents with a need.

While many of the toys are purchased with money raised during the program’s main fundraiser, Brother Joe’s Family Breakfast, many others are donated by organizations and individuals, Richey said.

The program has seen plenty of generosity from people who have needed help in the past, Richey said.

“A lot of times, we’ll have just a lady walk in with a couple bags of toys from Walmart and she’ll say, ‘I’ve been there. I’ve done this,’ ” she said.

Humble said he’s thrilled that Brother Joe’s Family Christmas has lasted so long and attributed its longevity to the spirit of the season motivating people to give generously.

“Christmastime is a time of giving,” he said. “It seems like people’s hearts are more benevolent around Christmas.”

Humble said Logan Countians have been particularly generous and dedicated to seeing the program flourish year after year.

“I just want to thank the people of Logan County for being so benevolent,” he said. “This is one of the most benevolent counties I’ve ever seen. It really is a blessing to live here.”

– Follow Daily News reporter Jackson French on Twitter @Jackson_French or visit bgdailynews.com.