Church Gives Away 1,500 New Toys as Part of Christmas Outreach - WSET.com - ABC13

Danville, VA-- A church in Danville said they went above and beyond with their Christmas Outreach this year. Earlier this month we told you about Abundant Life World Outreach Church and their charity program. They wanted to give away 1,000 brand new toys to children in the community.

Abundant Life World Outreach Church has a Christmas outreach every year for families in need. But this year they said they exceeded their goal and were able to give away 1,500 brand new toys.

The church was packed with regular church-goers, and some new faces too. About 120 families came to participate in the outreach.

 "We set out for a thousand toys, it just kept coming," Pastor Bill Motley said. "We even had some people from the community come in and get involved to say we want to bless children with toys and so it just kept growing."

Because there was such a great response to the project, each family left the outreach with two or more gifts per child.

 "I think it's awesome, it's amazing to me how that when we start, putting it before the people, how people respond to it," Associate Pastor David Ball said.

 "I think it's a blessing," attendee Cassandra Coles-Price said.

"The Bible says we're blessed to be a blessing, and we stress it's not about us, it's about God blessing them," Motley said.

This was Cassandra Coles-Price's first time receiving toys from the program. She says it came at a perfect time.

 "It puts me at a comfort zone," Coles-Price said. "I know I can provide something for them, even though it's not from me, it's from the heart."

That's exactly what organizers of the outreach had in mind. They wanted to relieve some of the stress that some parents are feeling this Christmas season.

"There's people out there that are struggling day by day, they're working hard, but they still can't make ends meet," organizer Tonida Irby said. "This right here ensures them that someone's out there that actually cares."

 In addition to the toys they gave after the service. The church also sent four hundred and fifty toys to children in Africa ,with some food and candy