Photo by Niamh Coomey Members of the Ohio Valley Street Survivors collected toys Wednesday at the House of the Carpenter.

The Ohio Valley Street Survivors held their 22nd annual Christmas toy drive at the House of the Carpenter Wednesday evening to help make Christmas a little brighter for kids in need.

The drive goes towards the House of the Carpenter’s “Christmas Kids” program, which connects impoverished families with presents and necessities like clothing items and coats.

OVSS is a local interest group that holds car shows, raffles and other fundraising events for those interested in classic cars. Vice President Bill Sandiford has been involved with the toy drive for around 20 years. He has been an OVSS member for longer.

Sandiford said when the group first unofficially started the drive, they bought 10 bikes for area kids.

“Ten kids had a great Christmas and no one else. So a lot of years back we said let’s not do that anymore,” Sandiford said.

Now, the group donates many different toys and games.

Associate Director of the House of the Carpenter Heather Gallagher said drives like this one contribute a lot to the program.

“Everybody is struggling a little bit in their own way so it’s really meaningful when groups come together like this to provide extra help for other families,” Gallagher said.

Sandiford said people have not always recognized how much OVSS members give back to the community.

“Years ago a lot of people thought that car club guys just sat around in a garage and worked on cars and didn’t do anything else, but we give back to the community,” he said.

Last year OVSS donated around $8,000 back to the community through various charities, local food banks, animal shelters, among other organizations that don’t tend to get larger grants, Sandiford said.

“When people see that you’re giving back, then they tend to give more,” he said. “We had a gentleman that donated several hundred dollars to the toy drive just out of the clear blue.”

Sandiford said he’s seen the conditions of Wheeling change over time.

“I grew up on the Island and when we were kids, the poverty wasn’t what it is now and that’s unfortunate,” he said. “It’s sad. But our attitude is every little bit helps and these [toys] are things that can be for a variety of age groups and that’s what it’s all about.”

Gallagher said the volunteer organization sees families brought to tears of joy every Christmas.

“Being able to see the end result makes the work a little lighter,” she said.

The House of the Carpenter collects thousands of toys, coats, clothing and other necessities throughout the entire year. There are closets full of such items, most of which will end up in gift bags along with the toys purchased by OVSS and other groups.

While OVSS members don’t always get to see the impact of the toy drive on children as directly as House of the Carpenter staff, they hear about it through the community, Sandiford said.

“That lets us know that we’re doing some good,” he said.