Meet Meagan: Toys for Tots Champion

The diagnostic tech at Cape Cod Hospital makes the season bright for local children — one toy at a time.

For as long as Meagan Harrington can remember, Toys for Tots has been a big part of her life. Her parents, MaryEllen and Tim, a U.S. Marine veteran, have spearheaded the program serving Cape & Islands for the past three decades. Since her teenage years, Harrington has always pitched in to help bring joy to children in need.

“I’ve tried to step up to help a little more each year,” says Harrington, during a recent interview at Cape Cod Hospital. “I am carrying on the tradition.”

Every December, Harrington takes about two weeks off from her job as a diagnostic tech at Cape Cod Hospital to help answer phones, fill orders, organize thousands of toys, and drop off and pick up donation boxes. At the Cape Cod & Islands distribution center, this year located in West Dennis, she sorts and packs toys in the “Alphabet Hallway,” where bags are lined up and labeled with the person’s last name and information with the kids’ likes and dislikes. She also puts together toy donation gifts, such as small Lego sets and all-in-one coloring books, for the pediatric ward at Cape Cod Hospital.

Meagan Harrington assists her parents, MaryEllen and Tim, a U.S. Marine veteran, at the Toys for Tots distribution center in West Dennis earlier this month. Four-legged friends Molly and Willow lend paw-some moral support.

Through her efforts, Harrington exemplifies the spirit of the season and shows how small acts of kindness can make a big difference and help spread joy — one toy at a time. The Cape Cod & Islands chapter of Toys for Tots serves Plymouth County to Provincetown, including Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. In 2022, the organization brought in 58,236 toys and helped 28,301 children. In 2023, 69,535 toys helped 34,081 children. Harrington says the biggest needs are for ages 0 to 3 and 8 to 13. “I’m big on sports, family games, fishing poles for the big kids. I like to get them away from the computers.” Over the years, the organization has kept up with the times and included convenient QR codes on donation boxes where someone can donate money or choose from an Amazon wish list.

Her volunteer work with the organization begins in October and slowly builds up to the big annual Cape Cod Stuff-a-Bus three-day weekend in mid-December at the Ocean State Job Lot Plaza in Hyannis, where local organizations drop off thousands of new, unwrapped donated toys. Harrington’s most memorable moments have included the annual parade with police, fire and other first responders who transport toys from Cape Cod Community College to the distribution center.

Harrington believes volunteering not only benefits the community, but strengthens bonds with her coworkers, who step in to help. The mother of two teenage boys (who also assist by “doing the heavy lifting”) says volunteering in the community also makes her a more patient and understanding person in the workplace.

The most rewarding part about volunteering with Toys for Tots, says Harrington, is bringing a smile to a child’s face and brightening their holiday. “It’s the best feeling — it’s why I do it,” says Harrington. “I am helping families who may be having a hard time and giving them a chance to sit back and breathe.”