Piyush Chintalwar and Carson Sheffield first met in middle school band. Both trumpet players, the pair became fast friends—band has that effect on people. Their idea to start Toys for Texans wasn’t born at a Friday night football game though; inspiration struck as the two were playing video games together one Friday evening. Their original plan was simple: host a two-week toy drive and give the donations to local children. With the help of friends from their biology class, they were able to make their first donation to the Samaritan Inn.
Today, Toys for Texans is much, much more than that original vision.
The boys and the growing Toys for Texans team organize drives throughout the year, collecting toys and books at various drop-off locations across Allen and McKinney. As the holiday season approaches, case workers from the Department of Family and Protective Services gather wish lists from their children to share with Piyush, Carson, and the team. Together, they work diligently to create gift bundles tailored to each child's unique wishes—each child receives at least one book and at least one toy. Toys and books are also organized and wrapped for distribution to local homeless shelters.
Toys for Texans spends countless hours organizing events, gathering donations, and seeing that underprivileged children experience the joy of receiving books and toys during the holidays. They hope to continue to serve our community and, eventually, spread their program to nearby schools and communities. Piyush makes a point to note that none of this would be possible without the volunteers and team: "We wouldn't be here without our 30+ student officers."
Toys for Texans’ next event is their annual day of gift wrapping on December 19. To volunteer or donate, visit www.toysfortexans.org and show these remarkable young men and our community your support!
To date, Toys for Texans has raised over $20,000 and helped make dreams come true for over 900 local children. But Piyush and Carson are just getting started. Join them in helping provide children in our community with books and toys this holiday season!
