The season’s first snowstorm wasn’t about to stop them.

After months of unloading, sorting and packing toys and books, Press Herald Toy Fund volunteers returned to the South Portland workshop Tuesday to begin handing out bags of gifts to grateful parents.

“That’s the best part,” said Roxie Johnston, who drove in from Gorham with her husband, Brent. 

The couple is in their third year volunteering for the Toy Fund and said the parent pickup days always lift their spirits.

“It’s fun to make that connection,” Brent Johnston said.

The Johnstons, like many of the 30 or so volunteers, are former teachers: He taught elementary school students for many years in Scarborough, and she worked in Falmouth and Cape Elizabeth schools.

The couple had read about the Toy Fund for decades, and the idea of helping less fortunate children fit right into their retirement plans.

“I kind of thought maybe there’s something I can do there,” Roxie said.

The Toy Fund wouldn’t happen without the volunteers, several of whom drove through the storm to be ready for any parents who arrived on the first day of pickups in spite of the weather.

While many in the first round of families opted to come at a later date, more than two dozen parents arrived Tuesday. And they were visibly relieved to leave with bags of toys and books, assured that their children would experience the joy of opening gifts on the holidays.

Even as volunteers have begun handing out gifts, they also remain busy inside the workshop, unloading boxes and sorting and packing more toys and books to be distributed in the coming days and weeks.

And soon they’ll be unloading a second shipment of toys, the result of an emergency order to keep up with a surge in demand for help.

The Toy Fund uses the donations of newspaper readers to buy toys and books for kids up to 16 years old in York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Androscoggin and Knox counties.

The Portland Press Herald and Lewiston Sun Journal publish lists of the donations along with stories about the holiday gift drive from Thanksgiving through the month of December.

HOW TO HELP:

To make a donation online, go to pressherald.com/toy-fund.

Checks made out to the Portland Press Herald Toy Fund may be mailed to 295 Gannett Drive, South Portland ME 04106.

Names of donors are published in the Press Herald and Lewiston Sun Journal unless a donor wishes to remain anonymous.

TODAY’S DONATIONS:

• $105.52: In memory of Harlan, Linda, Shirley, Bill and Jay. — Dan Frost
• $52.92: Anonymous
• $52.92: Anonymous
• $105.52: Anonymous
• $210.73: Merry Christmas — Mary Beth Malone
• $105.52: Anonymous
• $526.35: Merry Christmas to all the children — Anonymous
• $52.92: God bless the children — Alphee and Judy Lefebvre
• $52.91: Anonymous
• $105.52: Merry Christmas! In memory of Jack Marsh. From Anne, William & Joe — Anne Marsh
• $42.40: In memory of her parents Ed & Ruby Lothrop and his parents Joe & Gladys Labbe — Barbara Labbe
• $158.13: Merry Christmas to all of Toy Fund’s Santa’s Helpers! — Anonymous
• $500: Peter and Karen Morton
• $250: Jean Campbell
• $100: Mary Collins
• $100: Nancy Horigan
• $50: Ronald Houle
• $250: Richard Lemieux
• $500: In memory of Chas Towle Jr. — Anthony Curro
• $30: Linell Slaktowicz
• $100: In memory of Linda J. Warner — Deborah Downs
• $30: In loving memory of Scott, from Lyndsay — Mary and Eric Pettengill
• $150: Merry Christmas! — Kathy and Michael Camire
• $400: Tom and Judy Sides

Year to date total: $29,067.60.