Numerous more kids were able to enjoy toys on Christmas morning this year after one family organized Toys For Tots dropboxes at each of Med Center Health’s hospitals, including a first-ever dropbox for the Medical Center at Albany in Clinton County.

Chris Meredith, who serves in MCH’s IT department, his wife Kelly and their daughter Darby, a freshman at Greenwood High School, coordinated almost 40 different boxes across the region.

Darby Meredith has volunteered with the organization since 2017 and currently holds the position of Youth Ambassador, one of 42 across the United States and one of two in the region.

She said as a Youth Ambassador, being able to volunteer year after year has helped her realize she is “making a difference” in the community.

“It was really amazing,” Darby Meredith said. “You get to see a lot more with the more things you do and get involved with, and seeing the kids’ reactions to everything is just really heartwarming and amazing.”

Med Center Health’s campuses in Warren, Simpson, Hart, Allen, Logan, Edmonson and Clinton counties all received dropboxes for Toys For Tots.

Even though this was the first year for a Toys For Tots presence in Clinton County, Chris Meredith said the donations received were “way more” than he expected.

“I told my wife, ‘I don’t expect a whole lot from this one, there’s not a lot of traffic,’ ” he said. “And we’d go in and see boxes filled, so it was very heartwarming.”

While donation totals are not finalized, the different locations around Med Center Health’s Bowling Green sites saw more than 300 toys donated, bringing Christmas to over 100 children in Warren County.

Donations made at each hospital were distributed to children in that county, according to a press release from Med Center Health.

Kelly Meredith said on Christmas Day this year, the three joined the Marine Corps League and the Bowling Green Fire Department to hand out gifts to children in Bowling Green, something both she and Chris said is the best part of the holiday.

“Getting to see the kids run out … and getting bikes and getting toys, and their eyes just light up, and they’re saying thank you, and the parents are tearful and appreciative, it’s just nice to see,” she said.

Toys For Tots coordinator Janel Doyle said there are many families like the Merediths who return to volunteer year after year. She said seeing different families and organizations showing up to work means “so much.”

“They’re doing this as a family,” she said. “Just kind of like sitting at the dinner table catching up, they’re serving others as a family.”

Doyle said in years past, Toys For Tots did not have an “internal connection” with Med Center Health. Without the Merediths, she is doubtful that any of this would have taken place.

Looking forward, Chris Meredith is optimistic about continuing the Toys For Tots presence at MCH.

“I have been told that yeah we’re going to keep this going every year and hopefully make it bigger and better every year,” he said.