With the Christmas season coming up, many people will not be able to provide for their family in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to toys, due to the pandemic. 

If you are looking for a few ways to help out those in need, here are a few places that you can donate toys to. 

Hospitals: Many families are affected by their loved ones being in the hospital, or perhaps the children are sick in the hospital themselves. If you’d like to donate to your local hospital, check their website and see if they are accepting toys for donation. Also, because it’s a hospital (and especially now with COVID-19) make sure that you donate new toys if you can to avoid the spreading of germs. 

Charities: These are popular places to donate toys and other gently used items. Some of the more well known charities are Goodwill and the Salvation Army. Check your local charities’ websites or call them to see if they are still accepting toy donations for the holidays. 

Shelters: There are a lot of people who lose their homes and that, unfortunately, end up in homeless shelters. And a lot of children end up in these shelters along with their parents. Sometimes these shelters accept toys for the children there around the holidays. 

Women’s shelters are also a type of shelter that a lot of people forget about. Many children end up there with their mothers. Check your local homeless and women’s shelters to see if they are having a toy drive this year. 

Churches: Many churches also accept toy donations over the holidays. Even though they might not be holding in person services due to COVID, they may still be accepting toys. And if they aren’t, they can probably direct you to some place that is. 

Fire Departments: They, along with the police departments, also take in donations. They can bring those toys to children who are scared after being caught in a fire or in an accident. Along with toys, they also accept clothes and other types of donations to help those who have been affected by a tragedy. 

Helping others out this holiday season is a great way to positively impact another person’s life, something everyone could use this year.