Donations provide support to Marine Corps Youth Programs. Two programs that have received our support are:
the Devil Pups Program and Toys for Tots
YOUTH SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM
The Devil Pups Program is a youth good-citizenship and physical fitness program for young persons 14-17 years of age. The objectives of the Devil Pups Program are to develop qualities of:
good citizenship
self control
confidence
personal discipline
team work
respect for others, the family and country.
The young men and women are provided with ten days of supervised camping, swimming, hiking and training by youth-oriented volunteer Marine Corps personnel at Camp Pendleton Marine Base near Oceanside, California. By association with selected Marine Corps leaders and observation of Marine training, we are able to send them back to their school and communities with a greater sense of pride and personal accomplishment. Included in our program is a series of lectures on the Dangers of Drug and Alcohol Abuse and Driving Safety.
Devil Pup program selectees are not required to pay for their ten days at Camp Pendleton. Devil Pups, Inc., a charitable California Corporation, pays the cost of food, clothing, transportation, insurance, medical care and other consumables. Camp Pendleton provides eighteen specially trained volunteer noncommissioned officers as escorts, as well as their athletic and camp facilities.
Devil Pups, Inc. finances the program entirely by donations from charitable foundations, business corporations and individuals. We do not accept nor have we solicited grants from governmental or United giving agencies. Trustees and Area Liaison Representatives volunteer their services so that every dollar raised goes directly to program expenses! With no paid permanent staff or other heavy administrative charge, every dollar raised goes directly to program expenses.
The Devil Pups Program is the only one of its kind throughout the Marine Corps. The program mirrors Marine Corps recruit training, which keeps the kids on the go. For most, it's the first time they have been away from home or face to face with authority. Many come from inner-cities and have very few role models. All selection is made without regard to race, creed, color or economic background. Roughly 600 teenagers graduate per session. We have graduated over 40,000 young men and women since our 1954 beginning. An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 graduates have gone into the armed forces, specifically the Marine Corps.
Youngsters today are faced with challenges and temptations that are quite different from those faced by preceding generations.
We believe Devil Pups Program clearly shows the positive impact that traditional American values and old-fashioned military discipline can make in young impressionable lives. In a world of compromise and declining values, we have a great deal of confidence that these young women and men will continue to grow and mature into responsible and productive citizens.
For more information about Devil Pups, Please contact:
(626)-356-0020 or www.devilpups.com
connect to the Toys for Tots WWW home page
HOW TOYS FOR TOTS WORKS
The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is directed by the Commander, Marine Forces Reserve from his headquarters in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity, independent of the Marine Corps, provides the funding and support needed for successful annual toy collection and distribution campaigns.
Local campaigns are conducted in over 300 communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The Commander, Marine Forces Reserve has, under his command, 188 Marine Corps Reserve Units, located in 46 states. To cover all 50 states and more communities in each state, the Commander, Marine Forces Reserve authorizes selected Marine Corps League Detachments and selected local civilian organizations (generally former Marines), which are located in communities far removed from a Reserve unit, to conduct Toys for Tots campaigns as part of the overall U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Toys Program.
One individual, either a Marine Reservist, member of a Marine Corps League Detachment, or member of a local civilian organization, is designated the Toys for Tots Coordinator for that community. This Coordinator is responsible for planning, organizing and conducting the campaign in his/her community.
Local campaigns begin in October and last until December 22. Members of the community drop off new, unwrapped toys in collection boxes positioned at local businesses. Coordinators pick up these toys and store them in a central warehouse where the toys are sorted by age and gender. At Christmas, Coordinators, with the assistance of local social welfare agencies and church groups, distribute toys to the neediest children of the community. Over the years, Marines have discovered that social welfare agencies and churches are best qualified to identify the neediest children in the community and play key roles in the distribution of the toys.
While Toys for Tots Coordinators organize, coordinate and manage the program, the ultimate success depends on the support of the local community and generosity of the people who donate toys.