Granite Bay student is one of 35 youth ambassadors nationwide with Toys for Tots

Olivia "Livy" Hickey is a 16-year-old student at Granite Bay High School who has a passion for helping people in need. Livy is in her third year as the youth ambassador for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. Toys for Tots collects and distributes toys for disadvantaged kids in southwest Placer County. According to Matt Vidosh, a former Marine and coordinator for Toys for Tots, it's volunteers like Livy who make the program so successful. Last year, the program collected more than 28,000 toys and distributed them to more than 12,000 children. As a youth ambassador, one of only 35 in the country, Livy helps organize events to collect new toys and collects toys from local merchants who support Toys for Tots. The Youth Ambassador program started in 2021 and spreads goodwill to disadvantaged children. Toys for Tots has a rich history and dates to 1947, when a Marine Corps Reservist and his wife decided to start a program to give toys to impoverished children. Toys for Tots was formally adopted in 1948 and has grown to more than 800 programs across the country. Besides being a youth ambassador, Livy plays volleyball for her high school and a club team. Toys for Tots takes up much of her time during the holiday season. "I like the Toys for Tots program because it gives me a chance to give back to the kids and the less fortunate," said Livy, who got involved after helping another volunteer at an event to collect toys. "I became an ambassador because Christmas is my favorite season and the joy it brings me. I wanted to give kids the same feeling. The kids get the joy of waking up Christmas morning and having presents under the tree just like anyone else." Livy also chose to volunteer for Toys for Tots because her grandfather was a Marine and this gave her the opportunity to carry on his legacy. "It is a huge honor to be a part of that," she said. Her duties as an ambassador include planning collection events. She has organized an upcoming collection event at Granite Bay High School on Saturday, Nov. 29. She recruited other high school students and her volleyball teammates to help with collecting new unwrapped toys and cash donations from the community. Livy also represents Toys for Tots at various holiday parades in the area. Other duties include distributing boxes to businesses in the area and collecting the donated toys. She then organizes the donations into three categories, which include books, stocking stuffers and toys. They are counted and entered into a database. The toys are then stored and later taken to the distribution site. Livy helps the kids and their parents on distribution day. "I get pure joy from seeing the faces of the parents and the kids when they get to choose their toys on distribution day," she said. Livy plans to attend college and would like to continue playing volleyball. She would like to study biology with the possibility of going to medical school. Livy is very close to her family. They like to spend time hiking, boating and camping. Livy said her parents are the most influential people in her life. Livy considers her parents role models and looks up to them. Although she finds it difficult to talk about herself, Livy wants people to know she's a determined student and really cares about Toys for Tots. Livy has honed her leadership and organizational skills as the setter on her volleyball team. The setter is equivalent to the quarterback on a football team. "My leadership role in volleyball has translated to my role with the Toys for Tots program," she said. Livy has also found the time in her busy schedule to organize a grass volleyball tournament that fundraises for the Kinsley's Unicorn Squad, a non-profit that provides support for kids with cancer and their families. She also organized a gluten-free holiday open house for children with Celiac disease. According to her father, Brian Hickey, Livy is very goal oriented and does not consider failure as an option, and she applies that to her involvement in the Toys for Tots program. According to Vidosh, coordinator for the local Toys for Tots, "The program could not exist without volunteers." Volunteers are needed for a variety of opportunities, from drivers who pick up toys at drop sites to guiding families through the warehouse, which is set up like a toy store on distribution day. Local businesses can help by becoming a drop site for the collection boxes, collecting toys, hosting an event or making a financial donation. Financial donations are welcome and 97 percent of donations go directly to the cause while 3 percent is used for administrative overhead. Visit the Toys for Tots website at lincoln-ca.toysfortots.org for more information, to request a toy, donate a toy, make a financial donation, sign up to be a volunteer, become a drop box site or host a local event. Vidosh describes Livy as a "can-do person who will motivate youth around her to carry this program into the future." Lastly, Livy said the program "fills her heart with happiness." You too can have a similar feeling, just get involved.