Meet Marlin Dorhout and Tim Rogers of Toys for God’s Kids in South Metro Denver

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marlin Dorhout and Tim Rogers.

Toys for God’s Kids was founded by Marlin Dorhout in 2001. Through a national network of volunteer woodworkers, TFGK manufactures hand-made wooden toy cars, made out scrap wood donated by local builders. The toys are then provided, at no charge, to anyone who wants to give children the cars as a gift. More than 1.8 million cars have been made to date and have been received by children across the world, including kids here in Denver. About 15 years ago, Marlin contacted the Someren Glen Retirement Community in South Metro Denver to see if they would be interested in making cars. With the help of residents led by a woodworker named Dutch, Someren Glen residents have produced approximately 10% of the 1.8 million cars.

The cars are distributed primarily through churches and their missionary programs and through members of the military. Children in more than 150 countries have received the hand-made cars – each stamped with the USA on the back bumper. This July, the 2 millionth car will be coming off the assembly line at Someren Glen. According to Someren Glen executive director Tim Rogers, “Toys for God’s Kids unifies residents around a common and meaningful mission that extends far beyond themselves. These cars connect residents with children in the local Denver community and to children around the world.” Just last Christmas, hundreds of Metro Denver children received a car through the program ‘Operation Christmas Child.’ More information can be found at www.toysforgodskids.org.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Thanks to the national network of volunteers, Toys for God’s Kids have been able to keep up with demand, but we’re always looking for more people/organizations who would like to distribute the cars. Many of our cars have been distributed by doctors and nurses whose mission is to provide much needed medical services to underprivileged children. Our struggle is twofold – finding more volunteers to make cars and finding more people/organizations to distribute the cars being made. The price is right for our cars – they are free. The folks who want to give them to children just need to pay shipping costs to have the cars delivered.

Toys for God’s Kids – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Toys for God’s Kids is a Christian-based 501c3 not-for-profit that specializes in bringing joy and smiles to children’s’ faces through the simple act of giving them a hand-made toy car. For many of these children, this is the first toy they have ever received. That’s what we are most proud of. We are also proud of the women and men who help cut out and assemble the cars and our partners who donate the wood. And of course, this program would not be possible were it not for the people traveling the world to help others. Even though many of the people delivering the cars are on a mission, our cars are available to anyone who wants to give children a toy car – regardless of their beliefs or non-beliefs.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The fact that more than 1.8 million cars have been delivered to children locally, across the US and across the world since 2001 – and the fact that we’re going to make and deliver millions more.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.toysforgodskids.org
• Email: info@toysforgodskids.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToysForGodsKids/

Image Credit:
Courtesy of Toys for God’s Kids

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