POULSBO — As North Kitsap Fishline volunteers prepare to open the doors to its Toy Store Dec. 14 and Dec. 15, they still need a little help in spreading the holiday cheer.

With more than 123 families counting on Fishline to play Santa this year, Fishline executive director Margie Addington has high hopes that the community will come through once again.

“The Toy Store is the 14th, and we will take donations right down to the last minute,” Addington said.

Those gifts of new toys, gift cards and cash will enable the food bank to provide a Christmas that many families would not otherwise have, she said.

Gathering enough gifts for teen-aged kids is the store’s greatest need, she said.

“Teens are, in my experience, the hardest to shop for unless you have teens of your own, so gift cards are great,” she said.

In addition to filling the teenaged void, gift cards allow families to shop for not only what they want, but what they need as well, she said.

The toy store is an important program Fishline is pleased to provide during the holiday season, she said.

“It’s important for people’s emotional and mental well-being to receive gifts during the holidays, because it lets them know somebody cares about them,” she said.

A team of volunteers will spend Monday evening assembling the 50 bicycles and 50 wagons that have already been donated to the toy store, said Fishline volunteer Frieda Middleton.

But with 300 kids needing at least two toys under the tree, last-minute donations are always welcomed, Addington said.

“With 300 kids, if each got two gifts that’s 600 gifts,” Addington said. “These kids deserve a Christmas.”

Even though the North Kitsap Herald received a den of teddy bears for the toy store this week, Fishline is still in need, said Herald publisher Donna Etchey.

“We want to take this opportunity to remind people that the North Kitsap Herald is a toy drop off location, and we would love to do everything we can to help them out,” Etchey said.

Donations can be dropped off at the Herald office, 18887 Highway 305, Suite 700 or at Fishline’s 3rd Avenue location. For more information on how you can help, contact Fishline at (360) 779-5190.