Left to right: Students Mercedes Glasper, Jennifer Gonzalez, Sharlene Burl, Arianah Walker, Abigail Guzman, Nathaniel Wilson, Angelo Adams, Corine Pitchford of Christ Temple Church and Social Development Director Alicia Grangent.

For children, there’s nothing like a shiny new toy for Christmas — every parent knows that.

And the staff at the Joliet Job Corps Center wanted to make sure that the students who are parents had toys to give their children.

So on Dec. 4, Social Development Direc-tor Alicia Grangent took seven students to sign up for the Toys for Tots program at Christ Temple Apostolic Faith Church, 212 Richards St., Joliet.

Formed in 1947, Toys for Tots helps less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas. The organization collects new toys and distributes them to families in need.

Although the deadline to apply for the pro-gram had expired on Nov. 30, the church’s leadership kindly extended it so the Center’s students could participate.