GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Flanked by a bare floor and toys, Sergeant Jared VonBargen stands as a beacon of holiday hope.
“I'm just believing it will happen,” he says. “One of those last-minute field goal type of things.”
But belief becomes more difficult, with numbers showing a dramatic dip in donations for Toys for Tots.
Right now they're at about 50 percent of what they did last year - and they only have about a week left.
Marine Corps units across the country have been swapping stories about the charitable decline, with many wondering whether the predictions of last year relating to how the new tax law will affect charitable giving may be coming true.
RELATED: Toys for Tots needs gifts for teens
KARE 11’s Karla Hult interviewed Accounting Resource Group's Diane Malone last year, when she offered that take.
Wednesday, she talked to Malone again, along with several local charities. All of them say they're still waiting to see how the end of the year shakes out before knowing whether donations truly dipped.
But these Marines don’t have a month. They're down to days, waiting to see whether they'll deliver on holiday dreams.
Toys for Tots especially needs gifts for teens ages 8-14. Get some ideas here.