Distribution Day in Syracuse

Distribution Day is the highlight of the year for The Salvation Army in Syracuse. That day, families who have signed up through the Army and met income requirements visit the Syracuse Oncenter Convention Center and receive a donation of toys for their children and food for their home, meeting with an assistant to guide them in making selections.

“From setup to the day of the event, we have over 1,000 volunteers, each doing three-hour work shifts,” says Deanna Delmonico, public and donor relations manager for The Salvation Army Syracuse Area Services. “On Distribution Day itself, volunteers arrive early and get training on their role as personal shoppers. They become familiar with the shopping rules, the locations of different toys, and how to use translator apps on their phones to communicate with families that don’t speak English.”

At the Oncenter, families are paired with their own personal shopper volunteer. Together they walk through a festively decorated hall and pick out toys sorted by theme and age. Sometimes they work from a list, or the guide can make suggestions as they browse through hundreds of stuffed animals, board games, books, and more. Families with older children and teens can opt to receive gift cards. After gift shopping, each family receives a food box with pasta, sauce, vegetables, and other ingredients for a Christmas dinner. 

“We try to do Distribution Day close to Christmas, but not too close, so they can have time to prepare what they have received,” says Delmonico. “But the lead-up to Distribution Day is a culmination of connections The Salvation Army in Syracuse has made throughout the year.”

Over 20 local community agencies, including Toys for Tots and the United Way, donate toys and books for the families. Without The Salvation Army’s partners in the community, an event like Distribution Day would be impossible.

“Last year, Distribution Day served about 1,900 households. That’s a little under 8,000 people, and 4,500 of those are children who received a Christmas toy,” she says. “Our volunteers put in about 3,000 hours of service combined, not just as shoppers but also making the food boxes, organizing and manning the toy tables, and cleaning up at the end of the day. Each of them is happy to make sure families have a merry Christmas.”

It’s a well-oiled machine. “There are so many people, gifts, and goods coming in and going out of the hall, but we make everything run as smooth as possible. Sometimes, I think it shouldn’t work as well as it does.”

Last year, a woman went into early labor in the middle of shopping. Still, she was determined to get presents for her children. Her list was given to an Army employee, who did the shopping for her. Meanwhile, the mother was taken to the hospital to deliver her baby.

“It must have been a very special Christmas for all of them,” says Delmonico.

Many of the families who attend Distribution Day are vulnerable and not used to having such personal one-on-one assistance. The connection they make with their shopper, and The Salvation Army itself, makes Distribution Day a popular ministry for everyone involved.

“Being a personal shopper for Distribution Day can be a demanding role, but it’s also the one that gets filled up the fastest,” says Delmonico. “Volunteers reach out to us in the summer to ask about being personal shoppers. They tell us how rewarding and how fun it is to be in service to these Syracuse families.”