POCATELLO — An 11-year-old Pocatello girl has spent much of her childhood ensuring that other Southeast Idaho kids never go without toys under the tree on Christmas Day.

For this Christmas, Kaydence Cluff provided 42 toys during an event at Phil Meador Courtesy Ford to the Toys for Tots program to deliver to kids who otherwise would not have received any gifts.

It’s the fourth year in a row, starting when Kaydence was in second grade, that she’s collected and given away toys to benefit local kids in need.

“I felt bad for kids that didn’t actually get toys for Christmas cause (their families) couldn’t afford it,” Kaydence said.

For her efforts this Christmas, Kaydence received a green memory box from Courtesy Ford.

Kaydence, whose parents are Kasey and Chris Cluff, says she’s got lots of stuff to put in the memory box, such as baby items and other memorabilia.

“I have like trinkets and stuff that my cousins gave me — you don’t want to get rid of them,” Kaydence said.

Kaydence hasn’t personally met any of the kids who have received the toys she provides via the Toys for Tots program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

“I save up all year,” Kaydence said. “I use my birthday money, toy money — every money basically.”

She says her grandpa also donates to the cause.

“And on my birthday I ask my friends to bring unwrapped gifts for Toys for Tots,” she said.

Kaydence said she’s not sure what initially inspired her to start providing toys to local children in need during Christmas.

“They always ask that every year and I never know how to answer it,” Kaydence said. “I just like to give things to other people.”

She doesn’t feel like she needs anything but she knows others do.

“It’s kind of fun just to go shop for everyone,” she said. “To go get everything.”

Kaydence said she buys many of the toys at Walmart.

The items she buys are for both boys and girls but as she gets older she’s noticed her toy tastes are evolving.

“Now that I’m older I’ve been getting more stuff for teenagers because I know what they like,” Kaydence said.

When she’s not buying toys for needy children, Kaydence said she enjoys doing her nails and playing board games with her parents. One of the games they like to play is called Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.

Overall, Kaydence said this Christmas was good for donations. She raised a lot of funds herself and also bought more of the toys herself this year, she said.

She said her birthday money, Christmas money from last year and Easter money from earlier this year all gave her a head start on her fundraising.

Once she has enough money raised, she makes multiple trips to purchase the toys at local stores.

She says sometimes when her family goes grocery shopping she’ll walk down the toy aisle and buy a few things.

Kaydence’s efforts to make Christmas better for needy local children have attracted lots of attention and she’s even been honored nationally.

Last year she got the national Toys for Tots Marine Corps Detachment 698 Order of Saint Thaumaturge Award for her selfless donations to less fortunate kids.

She was the first child in Southeast Idaho to receive the honor and the award caught her off guard.

“They came to school last year and gave it to me and I wasn’t expecting that,” Kaydence said.

But it wasn’t a surprise to the rest of us who see in Kaydence someone who never looks for what she can get, but what she can give.