Retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Simon Hebert didn’t know it at the time, but some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figurines would change the course of his life in 1987.
That’s when Hebert, then a 10-year-old from Louisiana, received a gift from Toys for Tots, the longstanding Marine Reserve program that collects and distribute new toys to financially disadvantaged children at Christmastime.
“I was very excited about it, because I was big on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the 80s, and I even got the Turtle van,” said Hebert, whose stepfather was a Marine reservist involved with Toys for Tots. “It was at that point that it really influenced me to become a United States Marine, to serve and help others.”
Hebert went on to serve in the Marines from 1996 to 2018, first volunteering with Toys for Tots in 2007. He estimated he has spent hundreds of hours advocating for the program at between five and 10 events a year in three states and Washington, D.C. He personally collects around 500 toys each holiday season.
“Working with Toys for Tots was very therapeutic for me coming back from deployment in Iraq,” Hebert said, calling the annual toy drive “something I’m very passionate about.”
That sort of passion is exactly why Navy Federal Credit Union has been an official partner of Toys for Tots for 27 years. In 2023, they garnered more than 15,700 toys and donated over $47,000 to the campaign. More than 90% of their branch locations worldwide serve as drop-off sites for the public to bring new, unwrapped toys for children ages infants to 12. Many locations even collect toys for teens.
“You get members coming in, even before the campaign starts, bringing toys in, and they’re so excited,” said Heather Penn, branch manager at the Thomas J. Hughes branch of Navy Federal in Vienna, Virginia. “That first year I was seeing the boxes and members bring in the toys, it really started to set in how important the Toys for Tots Foundation is, and how it actually impacts in a noticeable way — not just the military community but the larger community where there’s so many kids in need.”
Toys for Tots donations stay in the local area, so whatever gadgets and gizmos show up in the special bins at Navy Federal branches go to nearby children. That means that Hebert’s Ninja Turtle benefactor was a fellow Louisianian, which made their gift even more special. It’s one of the reasons why he hopes to dive even more deeply into Toys for Tots.
“Standing there looking pretty, collecting toys is fine and dandy, but I want to get more involved with it,” he said. “Attending balls, more formal events, bigger and better with more seriousness.”
Penn’s contribution includes donating toys every year, usually a STEM-based educational toy for the preteen and teen groups who are often underserved. The opportunity to do so is a major reason why Penn, a former military kid, is still with Navy Federal after 15 years.
“Toys for Tots means everything to me. It’s why I’m here,” she said. “It’s not just platitudes for Navy Federal — everything we do comes back to the member and how do we serve our military community in the best way possible. Being able to partner with the Marine Corps and Toys for Tots reinforces that.”
Visit Navy Federal Credit Union for a list of in-person toy donation sites, which can be made until Dec. 9.