Organize a Neighborhood Toy Drive

Community Associations Owning a home in an association

Liz O’Dell, Volunteer & Donation Drive Coordinator for The Salvation Army in Washington DC says community toy drives are a major contributor to spreading holiday cheer. With the holiday season around the corner, help a less fortunate child this Christmas by hosting a toy drive in your community.

“Without the community, we would not be able to supply the support that we do all year round, but most specifically during the Christmas season,” O’Dell says. “All of the toys that we give out are donated, so if we don’t have folks hosting drives like this, we can’t actually give out toys and fulfill those Christmas wishes.”
Here are some suggestions for hosting a successful community toy drive:
Connect with the cause. Ask the program you are collecting toys for if it has a preferred toy list or specific age range for toys and be sure to include this information on your signs and handouts.
Give enough time for donations. O’Dell says a one to two week window should be enough time to collect toys. She suggests coordinating toy drives with pay weeks so contributors can plan ahead financially.
Keep goals in mind. Encourage donators to help your drive by setting collection goals. Keep participants informed of the drive’s status as the deadline approaches.
Challenge your community. Which group can contribute the most toys? O’Dell says some friendly competition between neighbors or parts of an organization can also help the success of the drive.
For more information on the Salvation Army’s holiday drive, Angel Tree, or registering to host an Angel Tree toy drive, check out the Salvation Army website.
How will your community give back this Christmas?
This article was provided by Associa Living.