A San Antonio adult emporium will continue to collect toys for needy kids after being denied an application to host a Toys for Tots drop-off box in its two stores.
In an email to Love Shack Boutique owner Amy Gonzalez, Toys for Tots San Antonio — which is operated by the Marine Corps and collects toys during the holiday season for underprivileged children — said the business does “not align with the image we wish to project for the Toys for Tots program.”
Love Shack sells a variety of sex-positive items, including lingerie, lubricants and sex toys.
Gonzalez told the Current she’s frustrated Toys for Tots doesn’t want Love Shack’s donations — especially since the shops have collected for the group for four past years with no problem. Her business donated four full boxes of toys last year, she added.
“In these trying times with how the economy is going and everything, they’re really not going to allow us to take donations for children that need them and families that are struggling?” Gonzalez asked.
Toys for Tots officials were unavailable for comment on why they rejected Love Shack’s 2024 application.
However, in email correspondence between Gonzalez and Toys for Tots, Gabriela Villagomez, a representative for the nonprofit, maintained the adult business should never have been approved to host its previous toy drives.
Villagomez, who’s in her first year organizing the toy drive, wrote in an email to Gonzalez that the decision “was not personal” and was “based on adhering to the directives mandated to us by the Marine Corps.”
“The previous coordinators may not have fully interpreted or enforced these guidelines, which has led to some inconsistencies in the application process,” Villagomez wrote. “My role is to ensure compliance with the standard operating procedures, and I must follow the regulations as outlined.”
Villagomez continued: “With social media as relevant as it is today, showcasing Toys for Tots Marine Corps boxes alongside adult pleasure toys in the background could lead to negative publicity, which is not something the Marine Corps would allow.”
After hearing of Toys for Tots’ decision, Bexar County Military and Veteran Services officials said they will happily accept the donations dropped off at Love Shack locations, Gonzalez said. Boysville San Antonio children’s shelter has also accepted donations from the stores, she added.
Gonzalez pointed out in correspondence with Villagomez that many of the items sold at Love Shack are no different than those found at Target, CVS or Walmart.
“We are a community resource,” Gonzalez wrote. “We work with gynecologists, urologists, and pelvic floor therapists that refer patients to us.”
Despite the setback, Gonzalez told the Current that Love Shack plans to continue to participate in the community by hosting its annual holiday with the San Antonio Food Bank, which is entering its 12th year. It also will continue to work with more than 20 other local nonprofits to which it donates.
Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed
Related Stories
San Antonio City Council approves Reproductive Justice Fund — sort of
Sex-positive Love Shack Boutique plans second shop on San Antonio’s far northwest side
School-voucher ‘evangelist’ with Texas ties on leave after gay porn videos resurface
Live Music in San Antonio This Week: Dawes, Cherubs, Tear Dungeon
This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 10, 2024.
