Salvation Army in Modesto puts out call for toy donations

With just a week of its drive left, the Salvation Army Modesto Citadel reports it still is in great need of toys to brighten Christmas for about 3,500 children.

The citadel expects to serve about 1,400 families from Modesto and the surrounding area this season with food boxes and gifts for the families’ children. Typically, each child receives a larger, more significant toy, plus a couple of stocking stuffers, said Brian Aird, business coordinator for the citadel.

Donated toys should be new, unwrapped and for children age 12 and younger. Historically, Aird said, the biggest challenge has been getting toys for children ages 10 to 12.

More than stocking stuffers, the army needs the primary gifts, he said. Toys should cost no more than $25, he suggested, and popular gifts for boys have included footballs and basketballs, while those for girls have included board games and cosmetic items.

Donations can be dropped off at the citadel facility at 625 I St. through Dec. 7. The army plans to distribute the toys and holiday food Dec. 12 at the Agriculture Pavilion on the Modesto Junior College West Campus, 2201 Blue Gum Ave. Those who were qualified and signed up for the giveaway in the past several weeks have been given a specific time to show up.

“Volunteers package the toys in large plastic bags and give them to parents on that day,” Aird said. If children are with them, “they don’t see what’s in the black bags. That helps parents with the gift-giving – they can say it’s from Mom or Dad or from Santa.”

The more toy donations the army receives, the less it has to draw from donations collected during last month’s kettle kickoff and its ongoing red kettle collections outside stores.

Money collected in kettles primarily goes to milk, poultry and other items for food boxes, Aird said, and “the money we get at Christmastime hopefully is enough to get us through three to four months past the holiday season.”

But should toy donations fall short, “we want to make sure kids have a good Christmas, so we’re ready to make those purchases as necessary.”

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 11:14 AM with the headline "Salvation Army in Modesto puts out call for toy donations."