Five Acres’ annual holiday toy drive creates joyful holiday memories for vulnerable children and foster youth who have already overcome many challenges in their young lives. Through the years, many generous supporters in the community have made these children’s holiday wishes come true. This year the need is greater and more urgent as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Five Acres is requesting help from the community to donate gift cards and unwrapped toys by December 18.
“Each year our holiday toy drive brightens the children and youth in foster care living on our residential campus, our foster families, and our community families we serve,” said Five Acres Chief Advancement Officer Jennifer Berger, who oversees the nonprofit’s annual holiday toy drive. “However, this year vulnerable children and youth have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic making the need for toy donations and gift cards even greater and more urgent. We are calling on the community to help Five Acres to continue to spread joy, especially during this difficult holiday season for many.”
Five Acres’ most requested gifts from kids are the following: art supplies, bath and body products, bike and helmet, board games, dolls, MP3 players, pillow pets, puzzles, remote-controlled car / helicopter / plane, scooter and helmet, sporting equipment, Star Wars figures, stuffed animals and tablets.
Gift cards also make great holiday gifts for Five Acres’ youth. The most requested gift cards are the following: Amazon, Best Buy, Dominos, Game Stop, Starbucks, Subway, Taco Bell, Target and Wal-Mart.
Based on the children’s requests, Five Acres has also built an Amazon Wish List full of toys that can be accessed at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/ZV9U7LEB62LL.
The designated days to drop-off unwrapped gifts to Five Acres are the following: Thursday, December 10 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday, December 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, December 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursday, December 17 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The address for curbside drop-off is at Zeilstra location at 747 W. Mountain View St., Altadena, CA 91001, across from Five Acres’ main campus.
To become a sponsor of this year’s holiday toy drive or for information, call Stephanie Perez at 626-731-9453 or email StephaniePerez@5acres.org.
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About Five Acres
Since 1888, Five Acres has protected the most vulnerable members of our community: children. Serving more than 10,200 children and family members annually across six counties, Five Acres strives for permanency—a permanent, loving home—for all children in their care. The three pillars of safety, well-being and permanency provide the framework for its programs and guide their steps as the agency develops even more effective means of caring for children and families in crisis. Visit 5acres.org.