Halfway Home for the holidays: Nonprofit toy drive set to brighten the season on Dec. 22
When William Wright was losing his brother to cancer in 2017 he promised his older sibling he would keep his legacy alive.
As a result, Halfway Home Pueblo was born, a nonprofit youth resource center dedicated to educating and mentoring children and having fun along the way. The goal is to provide resources and services that empower youth on their journey to a successful future.
Wright’s brother Roland “Fatty” Taylor was a professional athlete who played for the Denver Nuggets “back in the day,” Wright said. He shared his love of the sport through basketball camps for kids and ended up working with at-risk youth year-round after his retirement.
“He was chubby as a kid and the nickname 'Fatty' just stuck with him,” Wright said, even though Taylor was a fit athlete as an adult. “He worked with at-risk youth and asked me to keep the legacy going — it is something (helping others) that has been in our family.”
Wright, president and founder of the Halfway Home, got the ball rolling in Pueblo in 2019. As he approaches the third anniversary of the organization in February, he is hoping to make the holidays a bit brighter for 50 to 100 local kids through Halfway Home's second annual toy drive.
The toy drive is set to run from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22, at the Halfway Home office, 803 W. Fourth St, in neighboring suite B.
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Pandemic causes struggles
Wright said the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a struggle for the nonprofit.
“I survived with help from the Small Business Administration — they helped out with a little money to pay rent and utilities. Leslie and Pete Kammeier of Hope for Children have helped me immensely,” he said.
ReMax Associates Pueblo, Kiwanis, Catholic Charities and Pueblo Community College also have pitched in to help, among other local businesses and individuals. Wright would like to obtain grant funding, “so I can take the program to the next level,” he said.
The immediate need is toy donations or cash donations to purchase toys.
"We are a 501-C-3 nonprofit so donations are tax-deductible and if you are looking to make a donation before the end of the year, here’s one you can help,” he said.
This year’s Halfway Home coat drive helped 110 children stay warm — an increase from 80 coats given out last year and 40 the first year; its backpack giveaway got school supplies in the hands of 160 children, an increase from 110 last year and 50 in 2019, Wright said.
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The Halfway Home programs started out by helping four children on a regular basis, but recently the need has grown to 17. Wright would like to help 25 or more children.
The program is open to kindergarten through 12th-grade students, although first grade through middle-school-aged students currently make up the majority of the group. A summer camp allows kids to go to horse ranches, Nuggets games, parks, the library and learn in the agency’s computer room or create in its arts and crafts room.
“We’ve had great turnouts but we need an extra push to progress more. I want to get to that place where I don’t have to worry about, 'How am I going to support an event?” Wright said.
“It’s for the kids and I am not going to stop,” he said. “To see the kids smile anytime they come here for an activity is what drives me.”
Toy donations or cash donations can be dropped off between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. To find out more, check out the Halfway Home Pueblo Facebook page or the website at halfwayhomepueblo.org.
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Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Halfway Home Pueblo hosting toy drive, preparing for growth
