Toys stolen from Toys for Tots warehouse; here's how you can still make Christmas bright for those children

For families who rely on Toys for Tots to make their Christmas bright, Halifax County has some bad news: Two-thirds of the toys collected and stored in an Enfield warehouse have been stolen.

Authorities said someone stole toys from the warehouse, which is owned by the town. It is located behind barbed wire and just steps from the police headquarters.

Melissa Battle, organizer of Halifax County Toys for Tots, went to check on the stock on Monday, and her stomach dropped.

"They took crates, boxes and cartons of stuff," she said.

With just days until Christmas, the community has lost thousands of dollars' worth of toy donations.

"If anything could have broken me, this broke me,” Battle said. "How do you do this to children?"

The campaign planned to serve 564 children. With the loss, they may have to cut that in half.

Battle knows the value of a Toys for Tots gift on Christmas morning.

"I come from a single parent. I was one of these kids that only got a doll baby," she said.

After surveying what all was taken, she called Enfield police. She believes someone already had access or scaled a barbed wire fence to snatch the donations.

But in the spirit of Christmas, she's pressing on, set to deliver gifts to families in need on Monday.

"This is what I do. I believe in being a service to people," she said.

Enfield police are now investigating the theft. Battle says other counties in the area have stepped up to make sure children and their families have gifts this year.

Help Halifax County Toys for Tots

Halifax County Toys for Tots is accepting donations of new toys at the warehouse at 104 Halifax St. in Enfield through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily.