Seeking Place to Donate Gently Used Stuffed Animals

Hi,

I got in on this one a little late, but I wanted to tell you that my grandma always dontates stuffies to women's crisis shelters ~ for the kids.

I don't know where you live or anything, but Shriner's Hospitals always accept donations of stuffed animals and blankets and stuff. We have a bunch of bags of stuffed animals in storage that we are planning to donate to Shriner's.

Hi M.,

The Alameda Community Learning Center (ACLC) art docent is looking for stuffed animals for her art projects...if you are in or near Alameda, I believe she will even pick them up for you.

Large churches and Christian colleges often do mission trips where they bring bags of stuffed animals for the children.

The homeless shelter and Jameson center are accepting such donations.

Try checking with your local hospitals. They sometimes wiil give them to children on the childrens wards.

I'm not sure if they are still taking them, but Vacaville Christian School was taking gently used stuffed animals for a while. Their number is ###-###-####- ask for Judy Ingersoll.
Good luck!

There is a non-profit organization that collects stuffed animals for various local organizations. I am not sure if they collect gently loved stuffed animals but it is worth contacting them directly. Go to cuddlebuddies.net for more information.

Check with your local fire department and police department. They often give stuffed animals to children when there's been a fire in the home or when children have had to be removed from a home because of violence.

Don't know where you are, but Marin Abused Women's Services sometimes has women and children seeking shelter when they have had to leave home with only what they are wearing. They are in San Rafael: http://www.maws.org/

Are you in Sacramento... how about the Stanford Children's Home.

You can give them to your local police (don't forget the Sheriff's office). My dad is a cop/retired deputy and he always kept stuffed animals in his patrol cars for kids who were in a bad place--parents getting arrested, house burning down, etc. He said the kids always appreciated it and I donated two big garbage bags of them to our local PD and she was pleased to take them and amazed at how many.

M.

Your local homeless shelters or battered women's shelter would be good places to start. Police and firefighters also give them to children in crisis situations, but I don't know if they have to be new or not.

How about the fire department?

I wonder if a local SPCA would take some as dog toys? maybe worth a try

Hi M.,

My daughter, age 11, will be participating in a project next month to gather, wash and fluff up stuffed animals for an organization called "Animal Beacons of Light" (http://animalbeacons.org/) which gathers and distributes stuffed animals throughout the world to orphanages, nursing homes, shelters, etc. They don't accept any commercial characters such as Garfield or Barney, etc. If you would like to donate them to this project, let me know. We live in Sunnyvale. Thanks.

L.
____@____.com

Hi M.,

It depends upon where you live. Here in the Mountain Area of Oakhurst, Coarsegold and Ahwahnee California we have a group called the Mountain Bear Fan Club (MBFC ).

This club collects and distributes stuffed bears (and other cuddlies) to abused children who have been taken into custody by Child Welfare; to families whose homes were burned in recent forest fires; to emergency personnel to give to children who have been in serious auto accidents. I believe that there are other Bear Fan clubs in other communities.

One of the stories from the MBFC: A local High School Principal told the President of the group about one of the teenagers in his "continuation" school. The school is for kids that are potential drop outs, or who have gotten into trouble with the regular school system.

This kid had been in trouble a LOT with the school system; came from a home of substance abusing parents, etc. He was in car accident and in the hospital. The principal said that this kid was so hardened before the accident, that he didn't think he would ever be able to reach him after this turn of bad luck.

The President of the Mountain Bear Fan Club gave him one of the larger stuffed bears, "Take this to him and tell him that the Mountain Bear Fan Club is rooting for his recovery. That we send our love."

The Principal was very skeptical, " This kid is almost an adult! I can't take him this stuffed toy.....!" MBFC PResident said, "You aren't taking him "a toy." You are taking him a message that says 'You have friends. Somebody loves you. You are worthwhile. We care.'

The Principal told her later that when he gave the kid the bear with her message, the kid took the bear and just turned over toward the wall. The Principal realized the kid was crying.
After he got out of the hospital he went back to school really applied himself and graduated. The Principal said he considered it a miracle.

If there is a shelter for homeless people near you, that is another good place to donate. In Fresno, California there is Poverello House which has a facility to house and school the children of people who come to Poverello House for protection from the streets.

If your county has a United Way or United Fund agency, call them and ask for recommendations. Agencies that are funded by the United Way have to under go very rigorous screening for support, so you can be pretty sure any agency that they would recommend will be one that is legitimate.

Some communities have a "Toys for Tots" program. Call your newspaper and ask them.

Thank you for donating.

Merylyn (aka M.... my daughter's nick name for me when she put me on this list)

Hospitals with children's wards.

M.,

I heard somewhere that our Army was needing stuffed animals. They like to give them to the kids over there. Our school gathered them up last year, but I cannot remember who was "in charge" of it. If you're interested in that, I will contact the Teacher who coordinated it :O)

~N.

Try Goodwill....They appreciate any donation.

At the Oak park mother and baby program on broadway downtown-next to the foodlink foodlocker.

I have a friend whose daughter is collecting them to donate to a worthy cause for needy children as part of her Bat Mitzvah charity project. I'm sure she would love to have yours. If you want to email me directly I can give you more info.
____@____.com

you can sometimes take them to a local hospital childrens area or a day care center

Dear M.,
It depends how "gently" loved they are.
My kids were always getting stuffed toys out of those claw machines. Some they still have to this day, but others they weren't so crazy about for whatever reason.
You can see if the police department would like them, but also try women's shelters and the Rescue Mission. All types of organizations begin having toy drives this time of year. And, it's the perfect time for going through your closets and donating sweaters, jackets, hats or gloves that don't fit or you don't wear anymore. Boots your kids outgrow that aren't thrashed are another thing that I have found to be greatly appreciated with the winter weather coming. Oh, and believe it or not, another thing that was also quite welcome was little kids underwear. Not stained or with the elastic falling apart...just outgrown. Little kids whose families are struggling are happier than heck to have some Barbie or Superman underpants.
Good luck and happy giving!

I have a friend who runs a charity called Bears and Blankets. It helps traumatized children. Their web site is www.bearsandblankets.com.. They accept all kinds of stuffed animals and blankets as donations.

I have taken them to the Sacramento Children's Receiving Home on Auburn Blvd. Good luck!

Some police departments take them. Hospitals do not. Kara in Palo Alto may.

Pediatric wards will usually be happy to take toys off your hands. Possibly take them to the dry cleaner first and have them cleaned and wrapped to assure the hospital that they have been sanitized. My mother did this with my sis's stuffed animals, per her request right before she passed away.

hi, some police stations and firestations take them to give to kids whose houses burned down, and of course, shelters.

I've heard that some Fire Stations collect them and have them for children that have been in an accident or fire or parent is hurt to comfort them and give them something cuddle.

Hi M.,

You have many outlets to make these little tokens of love useful. I encourage you to look at Volunteers of America. They are the umbrella agency for many shelters where the kids actually get the needed items. In my area, I drop them off personally and know the social worker who sleeps on sight and when our stuff goes there, I know the children get to choose under caring adults. Some of these kids are under a roof for the first time in a long time after sleeping in cars, in not good places and it is comforting for them. Sometimes, a platter of cookies just makes their day. I also take my extra holiday decorations, holiday paper products, art supplies, birthday party goody bags and make a treasure box supply. They appreciate it all and often, these are transitional housing environments that set the moms and kids up for independence when they leave and they get to take household items with them when they graduate.

As to dust, children with allergies need as much dust free items as possible so if it is possible to launder them, knowing that these facilities do not typically have sophisticated front loaders of gentle cycle washers and dryers, that would be great.
You never know what is truly successful in terms of donating but when it comes from the heart and given with love, I can live with that.

Blessings

Hi M.,

You can try Christmas promise or the fire department I know that they collect items this time of year to give to the homeless or very poor. The families are throughly checked out which includes a visit. If the family has a tree or gifts under the tree already they do not qualify the gifts only go to those who have nothing.:)

If they aren't stained or ripped, and are in decent condition, hold onto them and donate them to "Toys for Tots" this holiday season! Little guys could always use a "new" Lovey!!!

The Sacred Heart Community Center http://www.shcstheheart.org/flash.html

at:Sacred Heart Community Service
1381 South First St.
San Jose, CA 95110
Phone: ###-###-####
Fax: ###-###-####

Check with your local women's shelters.

Hi,

I can think of a couple of places to donate your gently loved stuffed animals. Look into the Children's Ward at the hospitals. People always seem to remember these children during the holidays but children get sick all year. Also the police and fire departments use stuffed animals for kids who really NEED a "friend" to hold during a crisis.

M.,
I think Salvation Army, Goodwill, or certain stores accept them. I heard toys for tots, but I don't remember what stores. You can also call local churches that help needy families. Good luck.

I would really love to know, because in the San Jose area they all seem to want them with the tags on, totally mint. My child has a number that she got as a gift, and have only collected dust since then.

Check with your local elementary school! Ours collects them for our annual Halloween Carnival. They're used as prizes for various games.