When most people have put away the Christmas decorations, wrapping paper and ribbons, the director of the Whiteside County Toys for Tots program already is thinking about Christmas shopping.

“I have already started planning for it,” Monique Castillo, the new director of the Whiteside County Toys for Tots program, said.

The Whiteside County Toys for Tots program returned in 2025 – this time with Castillo at the helm – for a successful season of giving and receiving: The program distributed 2,745 toys to 950 families, with Castillo breathing new life into a program.

“It was amazing, the way the community and businesses responded this year,” Castillo said.

Castillo is a familiar face in Sterling, having worked as assistant to the Sterling city clerk for more than 30 years. She was familiar with the Whiteside County Toys for Tots program, having previously assisted with administrative duties.

Castillo said she stepped away from the program a few years ago, but after urging from others in the national Toys for Tots network, Castillo put her hat in the ring and applied to be the local program’s director.

Castillo was approved as director of the program in July 2025. Her first goal was to let the community and the county know that Toys for Tots was back with a new director.

“The beginning was getting my name out, letting people know the program is here and it’s in good hands,” she said.

Her tenure at Sterling City Hall helped with that.

“I’ve been with the city for over 30 years, and a lot of people know me in the community, and I think that helped a lot in being able to work with everybody,” she said.

Castillo set up booths at events such as Sterling’s National Night Out to let people know about the program.

When the campaign started Oct. 1, the main task was to get the familiar, wrapped donation boxes out to as many businesses as possible throughout Whiteside County.

“A lot of people and businesses reached out to me. I had around 29 businesses who took boxes in the county,” Castillo said.

Castillo relied on the experience of Brick Boss and the Boss organization. After the 2024 Whiteside County Toys for Tots was faced with a shortage of toys at the last minute, the Boss family stepped in and gathered, bought and distributed toys for the 2024 program.

“The Bosses were really helpful with those details. They said each child received two big items, a small item, a stocking stuffer and a book, and I thought that was a good guideline to have. I may change some things about that, but it was good to have those guidelines this first year,” Castillo said.

With a successful 2025 behind her, Castillo said fundraising will be a priority for the 2026 program, along with some changes to the application process and possible changes to the distribution process. She has been encouraged by the fundraising efforts from the community.

“I have people in the community who do their own fundraising for the program,” Castillo said. “We have a group who does a private fundraising gala for Whiteside County Toys for Tots. It’s invitation only and it’s catered; it’s a beautiful event.

“Everyone who attends brings toys, and last year they gathered 250 toys and a $160 cash donation for the program. When I started, they came to me and said, ‘This is what we do.’ It’s just so wonderful to have support like that for the Toys for Tots program.”