Jamestown Engine Plant hops into Easter Toy Drive, raising over $12,000 for young patients at UPMC Chautauqua Hospital

For the past eight years, Cummins Inc. employee Matthew Davis has not only been building engines, but also has organized an Easter Toy Drive at Jamestown Engine Plant (JEP). The toys are collected at the plant and donated to children at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Chautauqua hospital. 

The history of the Easter Toy Drive at Jamestown Engine Plant

Davis is no stranger to what it’s like to be a child in a hospital. Having spent time in the hospital as a kid, he distinctly remembered receiving donated toys. Years later, his son was in a car accident and also had to spend time in the hospital recovering. Davis says these experiences led him to want to start a toy drive of his own.

“I wanted to get to the point in my life where I could give back and try to help kids that are in the hospital,” Davis said. “A child goes through a lot of emotions when going through a stressful time like that, and sometimes all they need is a stuffed animal or a book to read to take the edge off.”

While the toy drive has always brought in at least 100 toys annually, it really took off last year with the help of JEP employees, Deb Jordano and Sherry Nowell. 

How JEP Employees contribute to the Easter Toy Drive

Jordano had the idea to do an Easter egg exchange for the plant’s employees. JEP employees could buy an Easter egg for $10 or trade in a $10 toy for an egg. Inside each egg were candy and prizes. Additionally, every egg an employee bought entered them into a raffle for a paid vacation day.

This concept proved highly popular. 401 employees participated in 2022 bringing either cash or toys for the toy drive. The toy drive coordinators used donated cash to buy additional toys at the store and then dropped them off at the UPMC Chautauqua Hospital, ultimately resulting in over 650 toys donated. Davis said last year he loaded up a 15-passenger van front to back full of toys. 

Easter Toy Drive 2023 impact 

In 2023, the goal was 801 employee participants with $12,000 in combined toys and monies donated, which would result in roughly 1,200 toys. Davis, Jordano and Nowell greatly surpassed employee participation goals with over 1,400 employees and 200 additional contractors and supplemental workers contributing to the 2023 Easter Drive. Davis shared that Jamestown Engine Plant employees surpassed their 2023 goal, raising $12,795. 

From the monetary contributions, two local schools received $500 each so students could select books from their book fair to be donated to the hospital. This prompted an employee who volunteers at another school to reach out to JEP event coordinators to request $500 for the students at that school to also select books to donate to the hospital. The schools earn credit from the books purchased and can then order books to be used at their school.

Coordinators will load up a van (or two!) to bring the toys to the hospital in the coming weeks, touching the lives of over 500 children and their families in the community.

Davis said he has seen the positive impact of the toys on children, parents, nurses and even JEP employees who’ve had a child in the hospital. He hopes the Easter Toy Drive continues to bring joy to the Jamestown Community for the years to come. 

“I think it just shows to the Jamestown community that we’re not just here to build engines; we’re here to build community,” Davis said. 

The Easter Toy Drive is just one way JEP engages with the community. Discover more ways here.