James Gallagher is in the thick of his favorite time of year.

The 43-year-old is coming up on his fourth year working on the kitchen staff at the Edward P. Boland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leeds, and his second year leading the staff’s annual Sidney F. Smith Toy Fund drive.

Since last Christmas, Gallagher asked the 42 workers on staff in nutrition and food services to bring in any bottles or cans they may have kicking around so he can bring them to the Big Y redemption center and save money for the drive.

He donates the money around November so that the families have some time to shop for their kids.

“We save the cans that come through here from the patients, and I’ve asked the workers that we have here at nutrition and food service that if they have cans from home that they’re willing to bring in, that I would take them and return them,” Gallagher said. “I save the money throughout the year to donate.”

Named after a former business manager at the Gazette, the Toy Fund began in 1933 to help families in need during the Depression. Today, the fund distributes vouchers worth $50 to qualifying families for each child from age 1 to 14.

The staff serves three meals a day to about 80 patients. For the last two years, Gallagher has been in charge of the kitchen staff’s toy drive, but from what he’s heard, the tradition’s been around for as long as anyone on staff can remember.

The woman on staff who had previously led the drive retired two years ago, so Gallagher happily stepped in to take control.

“I’ve asked the people who have been here for a long time, like 15 or 20 years, and they all say they’ve been doing it forever,” Gallagher said. “Personally, I’ve only been doing it for the last two years. I collect cans from wherever I can get them, and I just bring them to Big Y once my trunk fills up.”

This year was different from the rest, however. The $300 raised last year was a record at the time. But for a variety of reasons, Gallagher and the rest of the kitchen staff raised $480, almost two-thirds more than 2022.

People across the area still had bottles and cans stashed up from the quarantine period of COVID-19 because redemption centers were closed. Gallagher took advantage of that, going around and scooping up as many bags full as he could.

“This year we got quite a bit, and the reason being is because with COVID, a lot of the redemption centers were closed,” Gallagher said. “A couple people that work here had been saving up, and they piled up in their sheds and what not.”

Considering the vouchers given out are $40, raising $480 would mean 12 children have the opportunity to receive gifts. Earlier this year, Gallagher put a goal on the whiteboard in the kitchen to encourage them to raise $400. They blew that goal out of the water.

“We knew it would be nice if we could get at least $400, that way 10 children get a chance to get something,” Gallagher said. “That was my goal in my head. And we got $480.”

There’s a reason Gallagher is as outspoken as he is at the kitchen to get his coworkers to donate. He’s the one who goes to Big Y to return the cans, he’s the one putting goals up on their whiteboard at work, and he constantly reminds people to do what they can to help.

Gallagher was once in a similar situation as the kids in need, and the generosity of others helped pull him out. In return, he’s doing everything he can to help even just one kid now that he’s in a position to pay it forward.

“For me, it’s keeping the wheels of good karma moving,” Gallagher said. “It’s just a little bit of my time going and returning cans for 15-20 minutes a couple times a month throughout the year. It’s no big deal. I’ve gotten help in my life, so it’s my way to give back. Everybody needs help every once in a while. That’s part of what makes the world go around, isn’t it?”

So since Gallagher has taken the reins for this drive, the VA has seen two record numbers. Rather than wait until this year is over to start saving up for the next, Gallagher already has the trunk of his car filled with trash bags full to the brim with cans.

He’s determined to have a third consecutive record-breaking year.

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t be able to get at least as much as we got this year,” Gallagher said. “I’m hoping we get up over $500 next year. That would be nice.”

To be eligible for the Toy Fund, families must live in any Hampshire County community except Ware, or in the southern Franklin County towns of Deerfield, Sunderland, Whately, Shutesbury and Leverett, and in Holyoke in Hampden County.

The following stores are participating this year: A2Z Science and Learning Store, 57 King St., Northampton; Blue Marble/Little Blue, 150 Main St., Level 1, Northampton; High Five Books, 141 N. Main St., Florence; The Toy Box, 201 N. Pleasant St., Amherst; Comics N More, 64 Cottage St., Easthampton; Once Upon A Child, 1458 Riverdale St., West Springfield; Plato’s Closet, 1472 Riverdale St., West Springfield; Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, 227 Russell St., Hadley; Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College St., Village Commons, South Hadley; The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 W. Bay Road, Amherst; World Eye Bookshop, 134 Main St., Greenfield; Holyoke Sporting Goods Co., and 1584 Dwight St. No. 1, Holyoke.