The elves that work behind the scenes each year to make sure Martin County children have toys and a holiday meal are returning for duty next week.

The White Doves Holiday Project will be holding its annual volunteer breakfast at 8 a.m. Nov. 7 at the Hospice of the Treasure Coast’s Mayes Center for Hope, 1201 SE Indian St., Stuart. White Doves is a project of the United Way of Martin County’s Volunteer & Community Resource Center (VCRC).

About 45 of the project’s volunteers are expected to attend, and the breakfast offers them the chance to get reacquainted with each other and re-oriented with the project. Most importantly, the volunteers will be signing up for the days they’ll be at the White Doves warehouse – otherwise known as the Martin County Fairgrounds -- sorting and distributing tons of food and thousands of toys.

In this, the 17th year of the White Doves Holiday Project, the volunteers will be performing their tasks with heavy hearts. Dick Schwinkendorf, the chief volunteer who devoted six years as the White Doves warehouse manager, passed away in August. This year’s White Doves Holiday Project will be conducted in his memory.

George Phillips, a longtime White Doves volunteer, will be the warehouse manager this year.

The White Doves chairpersons this year are Tom and Lisa Haley, who have been involved in the holiday project for many years, helping to distribute turkeys, hams and toys. Tom is the owner of Buy the Hour Builders, and Lisa owns an Advanced Laser Therapy franchise.

Last year, White Doves served about 1,300 families with the staples for a holiday meal and toys for about 3,000 children. The project involves a wide range of community groups and the generosity of thousands of donors who give food, toys or monetary gifts.

The giving kicks off with the Boy Scouts of America’s Scouting for Food drive Nov. 12. Then, toy drives kick off as local businesses serve as Toys for Tots collection points to help stuff the White Doves stocking.

For information about the White Doves Holiday Project, please visit www.martinvolunteers.org/whitedoves or call (772) 220-4472. Monetary donations can be sent to VCRC, PO Box 362, Stuart, FL  34995.