Toys for Tots is a local toy drive for needy and sick kids conducted around the holidays. With just one special toy, you can make a difference in the lives of little kids who can’t afford a Christmas. According to statistics from the National Center for Children in Poverty, there are over 29 million needy children in the United States who live in low-income families.

Without toys and books incorporated into a child’s life, learning is severely hindered. Children cannot grow up without toys or books because they will not develop necessary motor skills. “Studies show that infant toys are critical for brain growth that affects learning later in life,” stated the National Institute for Early Education Research.

With just a simple toy, you can make a world of difference in the life of a needy or sick child. In order to donate a toy to a needy child, you can drop off your toy donation at a social service agency or homeless shelter near your home. Check your phone book under “Social (or Human) Service Organizations.” Donations of new toys can also be made to the Salvation Army or Toys for Tots during the holiday season. Online, toys can also be donated via Family Giving Tree website. In addition to fulfilling holiday wishes, the group sponsors a Back to School drive for needy kids. You may also want to see if your local Head Start program accepts gently-used toys for its early childhood classrooms or for needy families.

Take the initiative this holiday season. Donate new toys, books, and games to your local Ronald McDonald House; donate board games your family no longer uses to a local children’s hospital, or perhaps even to the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where “Dr. Bear’s Toy Closet” is stocked with toys and games for young patients. The medical center provides guidelines and suggestions for appropriate and requested items.

Woodbridge Center Mall will host its annual Toys for Tots throughout the holiday season. Bring unwrapped toys to the Marine Veterans on the upper level center court of the mall. Menlo Park Mall is also hosting The U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, which will be collecting new, unwrapped toys on weekends from November 29th to December 24th on the lower level near the Nordstrom wing.  The toys will be distributed as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community.

Commit to making a difference in a child’s life this holiday season. Donate a toy today!