Harvard firefighter Kerra Noyes, now in her eighth year as a local coordinator for the holiday Toys for Tots drive, said that toy requests from area shelters and assistance organizations are double what they were last year. But donations are heading in the opposite direction. Noyes said there were 500 toys donated in 2005; last year that number dropped to 148.

“There aren’t enough toys coming in so far [this year],” she said, adding that she expects donations will be the same as—or worse than—last year.

“It’s unfortunate,” she said, “but it’s happening statewide.”

Nationally, the trend in toy donations continues to climb, according to the national Toys for Tots Foundation.

Toys for Tots, a program started by Marine reservists in 1947, aims to make the holidays brighter for children in need. The successful pilot program, conducted in Los Angeles, was officially adopted by the Marine Corps in 1948 and was expanded to be a nationwide campaign. Over the years it has garnered support from celebrities like Walt Disney, who designed the logo still in use today, as well as Bob Hope, John Wayne, Tim Allen, Kenny Rogers, Billy Ray Cyrus, and a host of others. And coordination of the campaign has expanded beyond the ranks of the Marines to include local police, firefighters, and businesses.

Noyes recently expanded her role as coordinator for the Toys for Tots drive, and is now the area representative for Harvard, Bolton, Ayer, Boxborough, Groton, Littleton and Shirley. She doesn’t have an explanation for the downward trend in giving, but thinks it might be an issue of planning.

“Most donations are last-minute,” she said, noting that some even come in after Christmas.

As area coordinator, Noyes has arranged for drop boxes to be put in various locations throughout the towns she covers, and will be picking up the donations at the end of the toy drive. In Harvard, drop boxes can be found at the post office, Town Hall, the police and fire stations, and Team Realty. This weekend, said Noyes, there will be a box at Westward Orchards during their weekend-long holiday open house.

The Toys for Tots campaign, which runs from mid-October to mid-December, seeks donations of new, nonviolent toys—priced around $10—for children from birth to age 15. Noyes said there always seems to be a shortage of toys for children ages birth to 2 and 9 to 12. She said there are always a lot of stuffed animals donated, but other gifts to consider for very young children include pull toys, toy telephones, and interactive learning toys. For kids in the 9 to 12 age group, Legos, pre-teen “beauty kits,” and books might be good possibilities, she said. The important thing is, donated toys must be new.

“People forget that the toys have to be new,” said Noyes, adding that pre-owned toys can’t be used.

Besides the health and safety issues inherent in giving used toys, distributing “hand-me-downs” doesn’t convey the message of hope that remains the goal of the Toys for Tots Foundation, according to its website.

This year’s drive ends Dec. 14, said Noyes, after which volunteers will check the toys for appropriateness, will look for any known to have a high lead content, and will sort them according to age group. Then, she said, the toys will be organized according to destination, with every effort made to provide gifts for all age groups requested by the local agencies. Toys donated after Dec. 14 will be held until next year, she added.

Noyes said she spends a lot of time on the toy drive and she wouldn’t mind having more help; she invites interested volunteers to call her at 978-833-0207. It’s rewarding to be a part of the campaign, she added.

“I love doing it. It’s so much fun.”

Noyes is hoping for more donations this year, even though the drive is off to a slow start.

“If all of us could just go out and spend $5 to $10, we could make such a difference in people’s lives,” she said.

For more information about Toys for Tots, as well as the location of local drop boxes, visit the website www.toysfortotsma.org.