Church Member Urges Woman to Attend Service to Receive Toys for Tots for Her Kids

The holiday season truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Families come together, festive music fills the air, and twinkling lights create a magical atmosphere. It’s beautiful and comforting.

But let’s be real, not everyone experiences the holidays this way. For some, the holidays can feel like a marathon of expectations — from gift-giving to creating picture-perfect moments.

Now, I’m not saying the holidays are all about gifts — retail America does that all by itself — but kids and loved ones often have expectations that can be tough to meet. For families without extra resources, organizations like Toys for Tots can be lifesavers. Their focus is on giving, not receiving.

However, for one woman, her experience with Toys for Tots was quite the opposite. She was asked to sit through a church service in order to receive toys for her kids. Here’s what happened.

I know this might be hard to believe, but not everyone follows the Christian faith. There, it’s been said. Unfortunately, one mom who doesn’t practice Christianity shared her troubling experience after being asked to sit through a church service in order to receive the Toys for Tots gifts she was promised for her son.

The woman, who goes by @i_tried_ on TikTok, explained that she was scheduled for an 11 a.m. pickup at a local church. Arriving a few minutes early, she was approached by someone encouraging her to join the service. "Hey, the service starts soon — come inside where it’s warm," a churchgoer said, ushering her toward the building.

Confused, the TikToker told the man she might be at the wrong location since she wasn’t there for the service — just the toys. The man clarified: "Oh no, no, no. We’re not handing out the toys until after the service. But you can come inside and have a seat."

She explained to viewers that the church’s parking lot had only about 18 spaces for members, even though the building itself was quite large. This left her questioning how they’d accommodate regular attendees and the Toys for Tots recipients.

Although the mom wasn’t told she was required to attend the service to get the toys, the man’s insistence on her coming inside gave that impression. She explained to him that she wouldn’t sit through the service because she wasn’t Christian. The man reportedly replied, "That’s OK, just come inside and sit in the back."

While it seems she didn’t stay for the service — and it’s unclear if she received the toys — she essentially raised an important question for viewers: Why would the church make struggling families sit through a service to collect toys they desperately need?

She pointed out that this approach not only wastes valuable time but could also interfere with someone’s ability to attend their own congregation and practice their faith as they choose.

The TikToker also noted that Toys for Tots isn’t tied to Christianity, it's actually a Marine-founded organization. Major Bill Hendricks can be credited for starting Toys for Tots, making the church’s actions even more puzzling.

In an update, the woman shared that Toys for Tots reached out to her after she emailed them about her experience. The organization responded with an apology and confirmed they had contacted the church to address the issue.

According to the email, Toys for Tots informed the church that "this was not appropriate behavior for distributing the Toys for Tots gifts." They also provided the woman with information on an alternative location where she could pick up her toys if she hadn’t already received them.

Hopefully, this mom was able to get the toys for her son without any further issues.