This would’ve been the fifth year the store would’ve donated toys to Toys from Tots, collecting donations through their ‘Give a toy, get a toy’ drive.
SAN ANTONIO — The Love Shack Boutique has been an official drop-off location for Toys for Tots, except this year the adult shop was denied.
“We’re here for our community, and we hosted highly successful drives,” said Amy Gonzalez, owner of Love Shack Boutique. “We do a food drive every year, so we’ve never had any any issues or anything. We’re just a retail location. We’re all women that work here. We’re all about sexual health, wellness and pleasure, and we’re a community resource.”
This would’ve been the fifth year the store would’ve donated toys to Toys from Tots, collecting donations through their ‘Give a toy, get a toy’ drive.
“Each time that we’ve hosted has been for toys for tots, and we’ve never had any issues,” Gonzalez stated. “And they were very successful.”
It was frustrating for Gonzalez, who emailed the local coordinator of the San Antonio chapter back, explaining their store, and how they’re more than an adult store.
In a response back to Gonzalez, Toys for Tots responded saying that the decision “is solely based on adhering to the directives mandated to us by the Marine Corps. The previous coordinators may not have fully interpreted or enforced these guidelines,” continuing to say “…showcasing Toys for Tots Marine Corps boxes alongside adult pleasure toys in the background could lead to negative publicity, which is not something the Marine Corps would allow. Additionally, if such images were to be associated with the San Antonio Local Campaign, it could jeopardize many Marines careers.”
“I was like ma’am, I don’t know what kind of job is going to be jeopardized by taking by dropping off toy children’s toy donations,” Gonzalez said.
The store still plans to host their toy drive Saturday. Gonzalez explained thanks to an outpouring of responses from other local organizations, they are still donating toys, now to Bexar County, Eagle’s Flight Advocacy, and Boysville – a children’s home and shelter.
In the future, despite this year’s rejection, Gonzalez stated she’d be open to collecting donations for Toys for Tots again.
“I’m just looking at it as an end goal, and the end goal is just getting these toys to the children, that’s all,” she said. “That’s how we’re looking to do, you know? And it just happens at now we have other organizations that we can go ahead and and help out.”
KENS 5 has reached out to Toys for Tots directly, and has not yet received a response.
Love Shack Boutique’s toy drive goes from 11a.m. to 8 p.m at both their locations at 1580 Babcock Road and 10038 Potranco Road.
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