This time of year always seems to bring out the best in people.
To see the spirit of giving on full display, just peek inside a warehouse in Garland.
From the lobby, you can hear the blades cutting through wood.
"You know the best thing about these toys," asks Bill Reedy? "They don't require batteries."
Bill is building a wooden train from scarp wood that was donated.
"I saw it in a magazine," he said. "I thought that is really cool, I wonder if I can make it?"
Bill doesn't get paid to do it.
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"In fact, sometimes, you wind up paying to be here," he joked. "You run out of glue, you go buy a bottle."
It's become an annual labor of love, volunteering for Hobby Crafters, making hand-made wooden toys for kids in need.
"They pick them up and take them to churches and places, so we rarely see kids get them," he added.
Like others in the workshop, Bill's not a carpenter by trade.
"We have bankers, doctors, I think we had a lawyer out there," joked Renata Collings, another volunteer. "They're from everywhere."
They're all retired now, but they stay busy assembling the toys.
"When it's all done, you know you've accomplished something," Bill added.
This year alone, they're making 6,500 toys for children and families they'll never meet.
"We don't get to see the end result," said Sharon Winzen, another volunteer.
What they never see, are the long lines outside a local nonprofit, as different volunteers hand out those handmade toys.
"This is a huge blessing," said Mary Leos.
We met Mary while she was shopping for her nine grandkids. Without the help of Hobby Crafters and others, Christmas wouldn't be as bright for Mary and her extended family.
"They have no idea," Mary added.
They may not see the end result, but the volunteers at Hobby Crafters, definitely know the feeling.
If you'd like to help their mission continue, you can donate at www.hobbycrafters.org.
