New London ― The Christmas toy drives and distributions may be over for the season but New London firefighter Joe Nott said the need in the city has not let up.

And the effort to meet those needs remains a year-round effort.

Nott was among a group of firefighters waiting in the parking lot of the New London Elks Lodge on Washington Street Thursday when a 26-foot U-Haul truck loaded with toys pulled in. The boxed toys, a donation from the Toys for Tots organization, were to be offloaded and stored not only for next year’s holiday giveaways but for use during the year when the need arises.

Nott started a toy drive with his wife, New London Police Officer Deana Nott, more than two decades ago at the now-defunct Toys R US. Successful toy drives were held at Walmart in Waterford and Whaling City Auto Group in New London this year.

Firefighters and police officers, Nott said, being exposed on a daily basis to families around the city, are in the best position to identify those in need.

“We’re both in it for the same thing, to help people out,” Nott said.

In fact, Nott said he was out on Christmas Eve delivering toys to a family without any gifts to give to their children. Collected toys had run out at that point and Nott said he used donation money to purchase the toys.

Firefighters this year made a special effort to help out families displaced by a spate of December fires in the city including one family with a newborn.

“There was a high demand for toys this year because of that,” Nott said.

The toy collection and distribution effort has grown every year and branched out to include other organizations, including Whalers Helping Whalers. The New London-based nonprofit was founded by Chef Tomm Johnson at the beginning of the pandemic as a food preparation and distribution effort headquartered at the Elks Lodge. Johnson is the culinary program manager at New London High School.

Johnson’s nonprofit, among other things, now operates a food pantry on Saturdays and cooks and distributes hundreds of meals and food baskets every month. His organization, in partnership with the local fire and police unions and Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club, also started a toy and winter clothes giveaway for the holidays.

“There’s a lot of big hearts here,” said Johnson, watching the police and firefighters form a chain to move the boxes from the truck to the building.

Johnson doubled as delivery truck driver on this day and drove the U-Haul back and forth to Columbia with New London Community Resource Officers Daquan Stuckey and Christina Nocito. He said his next stop is in Essex to pick up several dozen bikes from the nonprofit Bikes For Kids organization.

Some of the toys picked up on Thursday are making their way to the Dominican Association of New London. Association member Cindy Alvarez said the toys will benefit the effort to distribute toys during the Jan. 8 celebration of Three Kings Day.

“We couldn’t do it without the help of the community,” Alvarez said. “This is going to be beginning of a beautiful partnership.”

G.smith@theday.com