A colorful assortment of Play-Doh. Two stuffed animals with stitched-on smiles. Books lined with crisp stickers and incalculable potential. Each toy stacks atop another, flowing up the walls of cascading cardboard. They linger in school hallways, lobbies, and even a district court office, but they are all the product of one dedicated individual: Meg Norton.
After a surge of inspiration in March 2025, Norton, a student in the ROUTES program, decided to give back to the Westford community by hosting a toy drive to collect donations for Toys for Tots. The fundraiser is accepting unopened toys from Nov. 17 through Dec. 5 at drop-off bins located at Day Elementary School, Crisafulli Elementary School, Westford Academy, WPS Central Office, and Ayer District Court, where Norton interns.
“I inspired myself to do this because we need happier stuff in our community. […] I’m starting this toy drive to make sure everything seems a bit better, a bit more positive,” Norton said. “The other reason is because sometimes [kids] can be homeless […]. My idea is to give them some toys to make sure they are not alone in the situation they are dealing with, and give them hope.”
According to her teacher, Todd Foster, Norton has always been a selfless individual. The two frequently unpack recent news stories together, often leaving Norton searching for kindness in the world around her. She was particularly passionate about children who didn’t have access to toys, citing the calming role they played in her own life, and wanted to provide that same comfort to others. In March, she decided to become the hope she wasn’t seeing in the media, conceiving of the idea to host a toy drive.
“[I want to tell people] that they are not alone in their issues and they [have] us to pick up the pieces and give hope back to them,” Norton said.
Norton initially met with Assistant Superintendent of Schools Courtney Moran, who recommended she connect with WA as a partner site for the drive. Determined to execute the fundraiser, Norton was ready to take action.
“Meg was supposed to email Mr. Twomey about this drive, and the day I told her, she went to WA for Unified Basketball. She just strode into his office without anybody telling, without any prompting, and just started just telling him that this [drive] was going to happen,” Foster said. “And I was like, ‘Well, I did want an email just because of what came to my head, but that’s even better.’”
From there, Norton shared her mission with peers and teachers at the ROUTES program, visited the fire department to secure a host site with her job coach, and made flyers at home with her mother. Each step built upon the next, and Norton worked through the entire process in partnership with her correspondents at Toys for Tots.
“We realized that [Toys for Tots] was a really good organization that was very organized. When we asked for something, we would get it quickly,” Foster said. “It’s been a lot of work, but they definitely do their part.”
Behind every email exchange, every meeting proposal, and every resource, there was a tab on Norton’s methodical Google Doc where she tracked the action plan of her drive. She spearheaded the initiative over the span of nine months, culminating in the facilitation of a meeting with representatives from WA on Oct. 30.
As two of her peers took notes on the session, Norton explained her goals to Dean Betsy Murphy, Principal Dan Twomey, and Moran. Despite some nervousness, the meeting was a success and propelled the drive to reality.
“I crushed it. Even though I was getting a little nervous about it, [I was] mostly excited,” Norton said.
Foster adamantly assented.
“The reason Meg crushed [the meeting] is because she prepared herself. This wasn’t winged,” Foster said. “Meg’s been working on this for months, and every time there’s paperwork or an email to be done, I’m not doing it. She’s doing it.”
According to Norton, this isn’t the first time she’s participated in service through the ROUTES community, and it certainly won’t be her last. On Oct. 18 she attended the Best Buddies Friendship Walk in Boston with her peers from the ROUTES program, where they raised the fourth-most money out of any group at the event.
“People with disabilities can make an impact in the community. Involve them. Engage them. Ask them what they think is important. Make it a goal. Make it a priority. Teach them that they can give back and they don’t need to just be given,” Foster said.
Now, as the drive finally kicks into motion, Norton monitors the donation boxes and eagerly awaits her town’s participation. With two community-based jobs and one in-program job, she nearly always has her hands full helping and influencing those around her.
“What Meg teaches me about this process is the importance of prioritizing others. My job is to help others, but when I think about helping others, I really do focus on my classroom. […] Sometimes we get so busy as adults, so we don’t think beyond, whereas Meg is always thinking beyond,” Foster said. “Meg’s always the person that’s thinking about the greater good of the community, […] [and her] efforts with the toy drive makes me think about the other people that we’re not working with on a daily basis. She inspired me to help more people outside of my classroom.”
At WA, donation boxes are stationed in the senior lobby and bell lobby. Whether it’s a small trinket or a massive stuffed animal, Norton and Murphy urge everyone to consider giving back this holiday season.
“Our students spend money on iced coffee and Starbucks and Dunkin and a bunch of things. And if they really dig deep to spend an extra $10-20 in picking up a new toy, unwrapped, and putting it in the box, it would make a huge difference,” Murphy said. “ I really hope that people don’t just walk by the box […] I think [it] would make them feel really good [to donate]. So I hope everybody digs deep to do that.”
Wendy Gloyd • Nov 30, 2025 at 10:19 am
Thank you, Kate, for shining a spotlight on this important community member and her efforts! Wonderfully written and inspiring article!