PORTLAND, Maine — Jean Paul Ngimbi immigrated to Portland in 2018 and built a life with his wife and their twins, Promise and Vainqueur. All four are looking forward to Christmas.
"It's very happy for us to open the gifts we receive," Ngimbi said while sitting with a child on each knee.
He said his family had previously been on the receiving end of Coats and Toys for Kids—an annual program that distributes new toys and new or gently-worn coats to Maine families in need.
"It's very happy for me," Ngimbi smiled. "If I give it for my kids, my kids are protected from the cold."
The father also gave back, volunteering for the Salvation Army, which partnered with NEWS CENTER Maine for the drive that collected 14,044 coats and 3,250 toys across Maine in 2022. The Salvation Army's Ted Tressler said they're poised to help thousands of Maine kids again this holiday season.
"As much work as it is, we look forward to it year-round because it's such a wonderful time of year to be able to help and serve others with the help of our community," Tressler said, standing in the middle of the nonprofit's Portland cafeteria, which was quickly filling with donations.
The coats are an obvious need. But why are toys so important to this mission?
"Positive childhood memories of opening a present—whether it's a lot or a little—opening something creates a backdrop and a foundation for the rest of our lives, in many cases," he said.
A coat can always find a home that needs it, and a toy can bring warmth in its own way.