Holiday Hope Toy Drive seeks to deliver joy to 1,000 NC foster children
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — ‘Twas days and nights before Christmas and this Holiday Season, the Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina is rallying the community to bring joy to 1,000 foster children through the non-profit’s Holiday Hope Toy Drive.
With more than 11,000 children in foster care throughout the state, this initiative aims to give every child a magical experience during the holidays, regardless of their circumstances, particularly out west for foster families who survived September’s Hurricane Helene and are still struggling without their homes and resources.
“We have families reeling from just all the extra expenses,” said Gaile Osborne, the FFANC executive director and a foster mother herself. Replacing food. Needing more gas for generators.”
Osborne said traditional sponsors and venues that typically support holiday efforts are unable to meet the heightened demand, making this year’s toy drive more critical than ever.
“We need stocking stuffers,” she said. “We need items for teens that were running short on.”
The toy drive is using a specially curated Amazon gift wish list for the children featuring more than 5,000 carefully selected gifts, with prices starting at $5. The items are intended to bring comfort, joy, and a sense of belonging to children in foster care who not only wish for toys, but also hope for a home for the holidays and beyond.
“Ultimately we need more homes,” Osborne said. “We need more families to open up their homes for these children. And every gift purchased from our Amazon wish list brings joy and hope to a child who needs it mos. It’s a powerful way to show these children they are loved and supported, and together, we can make this holiday season truly magical.”
To help:
Shop the Amazon wish list: Browse and purchase gifts directly from FFA’s curated list
Donate financially: Contributions will be used to purchase toys and holiday essentials for Foster children
Host a toy collection drive: Offices, churches, and community groups are encouraged to set up collection boxes for new toys
The Holiday Hope Toy Drive ends Saturday, December 14th.
To learn more about the toy drive and how you can contribute, visit this link.
