Spreading the Holiday Spirit: Community Giving

In the spirit of giving and community, there’s something truly heartwarming about donating toys to children and families in need. The joy that a simple toy, or coat, can bring to someone’s face is immeasurable, and fortunately, there are numerous local opportunities for toy donations. In this blog post, we’ll explore some wonderful initiatives and organizations in our community that make it easy for anyone to contribute and make a positive impact.

• 🎁 Salvation Army

  Every child deserves to feel the joy of Christmas. The Salvation Army Angel Tree program provides new clothing and toys to more than one-million children in need each year.
  To participate, you simply click here, and:
  Enter your zip code to search for your local Salvation Army unit.
  Add gifts you would like to purchase for children in your community to your Walmart shopping cart.
  Choose delivery and Walmart will ship the items directly to your local Salvation Army.
  If you prefer, you can also drop items off at a Walmart collection point which can be found in participating Walmart stores starting November 18, or you can hand deliver them to your local Salvation Army.
  📍Salvation Army, Plainfield, Nj – Corps Community Center
  📍Salvation Army, Elizabeth (Temple), Nj-Corps Community Center
  Spread the cheer here!

• 🎁 Holiday Gift Project, Center for Family Services Voorhees NJ

  You can be the one to make sure a child receives holiday gifts this year. With your monetary donation to the Holiday Gift Project, you will be the reason a child has gifts to open. 100% of your monetary donation will be used to purchase gifts for a child in need. Staff who care for the children living in group homes will select gifts, in exact colors/styles/sizes based on each child’s wish list. Our staff know the children well and can ensure just the right gifts are selected. All gifts will be wrapped by staff. Our program staff will also work together with families to give parents the chance to select gifts for their children.
  Click here to give a gift!
  📍Or you can mail your gift card to:
  Center For Family Services
  Holiday Gift Project
  One Alpha Avenue
  Voorhees, NJ 08043

• 🎁 Holiday Giving For Community Families, Morris County

  For many the holidays are a time for joy, reflection, and family fun. The holiday season reminds us of the struggle low wage-earning families have, simply trying to make ends meet. A single parent earning $10.00 an hour has little left after paying rent, groceries, child care tuition, and basic necessities. YOU can help create a holiday memory for a struggling Morris County family. Join Child & Family Resources in their Holiday Giving collaboration and join in collecting toys for some of the families they serve.
  Click here to donate toys, toys for the family, or to click holiday shop, which requests a $10 donation for local families in need.

• 🎁 GRACE, Summit New Jersey

  GRACE is a 501(c)(3) organization that strives to empower the local community through support and kindness. They are participating in a coat gift drive to help keep neighbors warm and loved during the holiday season.
  Click here for a direct list of items still needed for those in need

• 🎁 Toy Drive Drop Off, Short Hills

  The Community Church will be collecting donations of new, unwrapped toys from the community starting December 1-18. Donations can be dropped off at the Sanctuary front steps and placed in the bins (please no used items.) Toys will be delivered to children in need in Irvington. If you would like to support their 2023 Toy Drive with a financial contribution, please click here.
  📍Address to drop off: 200 Hartshorn Drive, Short Hills

• 🎁 Season of Giving: A Holiday Drive, Union County

  This heartwarming initiative aims to collect new toys and coats for boys and girls ranging in age from newborn to 16 years old. The collected toys and coats will be distributed to Union County families who have already been identified, who are facing challenging circumstances during this festive time of year. To make participation in the toy and coat drive as convenient as possible, drop-off bins will be located at various locations throughout Union County, ensuring that individuals and organizations have easy access to donate.
  The drop-off locations include:
  📍Union County Public Safety Building, 300 North Avenue East, Westfield
  📍Union County Engineering Building, 2325 South Avenue, Scotch Plains
  For suggestions on toys, individuals can visit this Amazon Wish List and select a toy from their Wish List and deliver it to any of the bins or send it to the shipping address.
  📍If you would like to get items shipped from anywhere else, please send to:
  The County of Union
  Attn: Samantha Perez
  6th Floor 10 Elizabethtown Plaza
  Elizabeth, NJ 07207
  The drive will run until December 18th allowing ample time for people to drop off their new, unwrapped toys and coats
  Click here to learn more on spreading the holiday cheer!

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