Sebastian County Assessor’s Office Sponors Toy Drive

By Tammy Moore Teague
For the past 14 years the Sebastian County Assessor’s Office has been collecting toys at Christmas time. Current Assessor, Zach Johnson, looks to continue that tradition. “We are reaching out to ask for help with a project that is near and dear to our hearts,” stated Johnson.
Sebastian County has the highest number of children in foster care within the state of Arkansas. As many as 800 children from Sebastian County are in foster care at any given time during the year. Many are sent to different parts of Arkansas due to the lack of certified care givers and homes in our area. Although DHS does its best to keep siblings together, sometimes it’s not always possible.
“It makes a tough time of year even rougher on these children,” added Johnson. “Our toy collection was started by Ms. Becky Yandell, my predecessor in the Assessor’s office. Ms. Yandell saw a need in our area and did her best to help out where she could. This is why I am reaching out to you. While the needs are great, our individual resources are limited. We do the best we can, but are hoping to partner up with our communities to create as much Christmas joy for these children as possible.”
Beginning December 3, their office will begin accepting donations of toys at the Fort Smith and Greenwood courthouse locations. These donations will be delivered by DHS during the week of December 17.
“Thank you so much for your consideration in helping us achieve our goal of providing some positive memories for the children. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or even potential ideas, we welcome them all! We look forward to seeing what happens when a community comes together for the good of the children! Have a very Merry Christmas!”