The owners of a local toy store made the difficult decision to close their business this week, but they wanted to ensure their remaining inventory would still bring joy to children in the community.
Instead of packing up their merchandise, Lorenia Fierros and her family donated 10 boxes and eight bags of toys to the Salvation Army to benefit kids across the Tucson area this holiday season.
Fierros and her family opened Astro Toys about five years ago at the Tucson Mall and most recently had moved to the Tucson Premium Outlets. However, the challenges of retail in recent years made it difficult to sustain the business.
"It was really hard to stay open, a lot of people weren't shopping, and we understand the pandemic created a lot of different… changed how retail was and how people shopped," Fierros said.
As the family prepared to close the store, they realized they had an opportunity to give back to the community.
"Days leading to our closing, we started thinking, we have so many toys here, why are we going to pack all these up? We don't really see ourselves opening again," Fierros said.
The decision to donate held special meaning for Fierros, who has personal experience with the Salvation Army.
"My mom was a single mother, and we were actually one of those children that used to go to those events and pick up toys," Fierros said.
"When you help others, later on in their community – they support us. It's a circle, that's a beautiful time," said Andres Espinoza, Tucson Coordinator for the Salvation Army.
Fierros explained that being able to make this donation has helped ease the pain of closing the store.
"I don't know what got us to this point, but if it was meant to be able to give some people a good Christmas this year, then it was all worth it," Fierros said.
Espinoza said the Salvation Army in Tucson hopes to distribute about 7,000 toys this holiday season.
Donations can be made at the following locations:
- Tucson Subaru, 4901 N Oracle Rd
- Tucson Mall, 4500 N Oracle Rd
- Park Place Mall, 5870 E Broadway Blvd
- The Salvation Army Hospitality House, 1002 N. Main Avenue
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