Two of Rockwall County's best-known nonprofits have made their collaboration official: Rockwall Toys for Tots is now the designated toy drive for the county, and Helping Hands of Rockwall County serves as the primary distribution center, a partnership that extends well beyond the holiday season.

The announcement came Wednesday, July 29, after the two organizations teamed up for Helping Hands' annual Backpack and School Supply Program on Sunday, July 26. The event provided 1,800 Rockwall County students with brand-new backpacks filled with grade-appropriate supplies. Rockwall Toys for Tots sponsored 525 of those children, according to a press release from Helping Hands published by Blue Ribbon News.

The Toys for Tots leadership team in Rockwall County includes John Hagaman, Joshua Pendley, Jeff Skinner, and Kevin Stanley. Jennifer Beasley, Helping Hands' director of development and communication, submitted the announcement on behalf of both organizations.

The groups said the partnership, which they've branded "One Team, One Mission," grew out of years of working together during the Christmas toy drive season. Helping Hands' holiday toy program dates to 1976, when the organization was co-founded by Bob Reeves, then pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Rockwall, and Claudette Johnson. That makes 2026 the nonprofit's 50th anniversary year. By 2019, the Christmas drive alone was serving more than 1,000 children with four toys each.

Now the relationship operates year-round. In a joint statement, the organizations said the partnership will continue to expand, with both groups planning to find additional ways to support local children and families.

Jon Bailey, who has led Helping Hands as president and CEO since 2015, described the organization's broad approach in a November 2025 profile by the North Texas Food Bank: "We have the opportunity to really help clients — it's not just keeping your lights on or having a food pantry. It's several things." Under Bailey, Helping Hands has grown to a multi-facility campus with 48 employees offering a food pantry, health center, thrift store, and client assistance programs. The Reeves and Johnson Campus opened in 2025.

The need is real. One in four children in the Dallas-Fort Worth area experiences food insecurity, according to a 2026 Feeding America report, and Helping Hands operates one of Rockwall County's primary food pantries.

Residents who want to support the organizations can look ahead to several Helping Hands fundraisers this fall: the 20th Annual Golf Tournament on Friday, Sept. 11; the 14th Annual Pink Party on Thursday, Oct. 1; and the Festival of Trees events on Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14. The Toys for Tots holiday toy drive launches this fall.