PEORIA ( 25News Now ) - The giving spirit was alive and well at Northwoods Mall Thursday.

Toys for Tots was collecting donations from shoppers of new, unwrapped toys.

Locally, the toys collected by the organization are given to area nonprofits, which then distribute them to families in need.

“They don’t necessarily have the money to purchase a big Christmas,” said Amber Harmon, a coordinator with Toys for Tots, who mentioned this year has been a financial challenge for some families.

She added that the organization is dedicated to making sure life doesn’t get in the way of brightening the holidays.

“It’s important for us to help all the kids get a little bit of joy and get a little bit of a sense of community.”

Toys for Tots collected over 80,000 toys last Christmas.

Harmon added

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