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For the fifth Christmas in a row, Walt Massey Nissan has teamed up with the Covington County Department of Human Resources to provide Christmas toys for foster kids.

Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce director Chrissie Duffy said five years ago Massey reached out to the chamber searching for an organization to help.

“They reached out to us because they wanted to do more in the community,” Duffy said. “So, they asked if there was an organization in the community that wasn’t getting enough attention. I called Lesa Syler (Rathel) and I knew that she worked with a lot of special cases and asked if there was a way we could partner up and collect gifts if she would do the distribution side of it, which is the hard part of it all. There are so many people that want to give and want to do and Massey opened up their hearts.”

A big white Massey van pulled up the DHR yesterday filled with more than 2,500 toys for foster children this Christmas.

“We received so many donations,” Walt Massey Nissan marketing director Alyssa Wilson said. “It started because we wanted to start doing Toys for Tots, but those gifts are spread all around the state. So, we started doing this because we knew that what we gave would stay local. We just wanted the kids in Covington County to have a good Christmas. Every year it keeps getting bigger, and we are very thankful to everyone who donates. We have people in the community, businesses and individuals that all donate to really make these kids Christmases great.”

Natalie Pinson with the Covington County DHR said their workers love helping their children.

“All of these gifts will go to the in-home service clients that we have,” Pinson said. “So, our workers will actually go to the houses and deliver the gifts and they love it.”