While the holiday season is an exciting time for many, it can also be a source of stress and anxiety for those who are lacking financial stability. In Portland, there are a variety of toy drives and donation opportunities to get involved in, whether you are looking to receive aid or are willing to volunteer.
When we enter shops during the holiday season, we often see an Angel Tree: a program that allows shoppers to provide clothing, toys and necessities to children. The Angel Tree Campaign is a simple yet immensely helpful and widespread donation system. It allows you to simply grab a name from the tree and begin shopping for someone’s listed interest(s).
Toy & Joy Makers is not only one of Portland’s largest toy drives, it is also one of the oldest in the country. It is a nonprofit, run entirely by volunteers, that donated 67,000 gifts to children last year. Families that were looking to receive gift donations could register online starting in November.
The KGW Great Toy Drive is another one of the most well-known toy drives in the Portland area. More than 130 local volunteers collect and distribute gifts to families in need. If you need support this holiday season, visit their website, kgwtoy.com. There you can find contact information for specific nonprofits, churches and programs, all offering assistance during the holiday season.
Another great resource is The Giving Program. It is a holiday organization that cares for both children and adults. For adults, volunteers make holiday cards with gift cards, which are mailed to them in mid-December. For children, families submit a gift request (under $40) for each child they wish to receive gifts for. The Giving Program then purchases and gives those gifts to the parents. This allows parents to give their kids the gifts they want, no matter what their circumstances are this season. However, due to capacity, families and adults need to be served by the Friendly House or be referred from a partner agency in order to receive gifts at this time.
You can also check out the Ida B. Wells High School resource page for a list of food resources in the community. At IBW, the counselors put together winter baskets for families in need, creating around 50-60 baskets a year for families before we head off to winter break. You can make a donation to support these baskets through school pay by searching “Winter Basket and Student Assistance Fund” which helps support the IBW community directly. If you or your family are struggling, these resources and many others are here to support you during the holiday season.
