What Does the Toy Project Do?

The R. J. Scheffel Memorial Toy Project provides, without charge, wooden toys, memory boxes, and games, hand crafted by volunteers, for children who are disadvantaged, homeless, needy or in crisis. We are “Toy Makers” for disadvantaged children of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham Counties.

A majority of the toys are distributed in Lansing and the surrounding tri-county area. Lansing’s Salvation Army received and distributed 3,843 toys to needy families during December 2018. Approximately 40% of a year’s production goes to the Salvation Army. C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Gilda’s Club and Mary Free Bed Hospital in Grand Rapids are also recipients. 315 toy police cars were made for the Michigan State Police in the last 7 years plus 287 for the East Lansing Police Department in the last eight years. Ele’s Place in Lansing provides bereavement counseling to children and received 4,048 memory boxes for the past eight years. Ele’s Place now has locations in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids and memory boxes are supplied to them too.

Rueben Jacob Scheffel was a retired grocer living on Rundle Street in the Colonial Village area of southwest Lansing. Wooden toy making for the neighborhood children began about 1959 and continued until his death in 1978 at age 89. Thereafter the Lansing area Kiwanis Clubs became involved and volunteers came aboard. Those details are unknown.

Santa's Elves carry on Mr. Scheffel's tradition of making toys. The 'Elves' come from very diverse backgrounds. Engineering: civil, design and mechanical engineers, 2 psychologists, a psychiatrist, informational technology and special insurance sales, an elementary school teacher, secondary education and high school basketball coaches, a retired high school shop teacher, a RN, a die sinker, production scheduler, a former Lansing police officer, an administrative law judge, an attorney, a fellow from Michigan Department of Transportation and various other backgrounds.

Several have a connection with Michigan State University: the former campus police chief (Director of Public Safety); Director of the Archives, Director of Alumni Career Placement, the MSU Counseling Center, former MSU's professors of landscaping, of crops & soil sciences. One gentleman is credited with the development of Controlled Atmosphere Storage for apples so that they are still crispy in the spring of the year.

None of the toys are sold; all toys are given to 30-32 local agencies to satisfy their 'Wish Lists'. They do the distribution. We have little contact with children.
There are no administrative costs. All volunteers donate their expertise and time to the toy project.

         
Annual Production 1997-2024          Agencies Served  2011-2023

R. J. Scheffel Memorial Toy Project Board of Directors Officers   Gene Klco, President General Motors-Design Manager, Retired & Toys Photographer & Webmaster & Toy Shop Volunteer   Chris Costigan, Vice President Retired & Toy Shop Volunteer   Sherry Alexander, Secretary x Secretary at St Therese Church   Ray Lemmen, Treasurer x CPA in private practice - Retired  Members at Large   Dave Borzenski x Retired, Deacon at St Therese Church x   Jim Dell RSVP Coordinator   Fred Hambly Retired Psychiatrist & Toy Shop Volunteer  Barry Holcolm x Retired  Major Nate Johnson x Salvation Army x  Rich Martin Toy Shop Volunteer   Bob Scott Retired from Michigan Department of Health & Human Services & Toy Shop Volunteer   Bruce Smith x Retired from MSU in Information Technology   Darryl Warnke Toy Shop Volunteer Team Leaders: Chris Costigan - Back Room Coordinator

Toys ready for delivery to community agencies   Bylaws (as Amended in April 2008)