Nonprofits who supply in-need kids with holiday gifts are sounding the alarm that toy donations are critically low this year while they are faced with supporting more families than ever. Kent County Toys for Tots noted that toy donations are down 70% this year in an ABC13 Michigan report. Similar concerns were raised by Colonel Cindy Foley of the NW Salvation Army Division who described the situation as “dire” in a Fox13 Seattle News interview. She explained that they are “trying to provide food, shelter, toys and clothing to double the number of families we served last Christmas” but that both financial and toy donations are significantly down this year.
While the drop in donations is startling, it is not surprising given ongoing inflation and economic uncertainty. Unfortunately, the same conditions that increase the number of people relying on nonprofits for assistance also decrease the number of potential donors and the amount they can give.
Why are holiday toy drives important? Unlike food and shelter, holiday toys are not a necessity but it’s hard to fathom a child hoping the magic of the season will provide him or her with a special gift only to be disappointed. And, toys play an important role in the lives of kids. See below for 4 reasons why the gift of a holiday toy means so much:
- - Toys bring joy, happiness, comfort, and a sense of adventure to a child’s life. Playing with toys can also boost creativity and self-confidence.
- - Toys provide critical learning opportunities and develop cognitive, motor, and emotional skills.
- - Toys can create much needed family bonding time. Board and card games can spark fun game nights!
- - Holiday toys provide hope and remind children who are experiencing possible sadness, despair, and distress that there is kindness in the world.
Time is running short to help get kids toys for this holiday season. Keep your eyes peeled for toy collection bins in your community. Or start your own toy drive today and spread the word immediately. You can find tips about running a toy drive here.
Many people will do most of their holiday shopping online. You can take advantage of this convenience by running an online toy drive with YouGiveGoods - all the delivery logistics are handled for you as well. Click here and follow the simple step by step instructions to create your own custom online toy drive benefiting any nonprofit.
And, don’t fear that it’s too late to help with an online toy drive due to delivery timeframes. While it’s true that gifts may not arrive in time for holiday distribution this year, we can hook you up with nonprofits that are thrilled to receive donations that they can hold onto for next year. It’ll be an amazing gift for them to start the 2024 holiday with an arsenal of toys to build on!
So, when you’re checking off your holiday shopping list for family and friends, be sure to add something for a kid in need in your community by donating to or hosting a holiday toy drive.
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