Seeking Place to Donate Gently Used Stuffed Animals

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

1 mom found this helpful

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

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.

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.

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.

Check with your local women's shelters.

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: ###-###-####

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!!!

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.:)

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,

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

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.

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

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

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.

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 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.

The homeless shelter and Jameson center are accepting such donations.

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

Try Goodwill....They appreciate any donation.

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.

Hospitals with children's wards.

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

How about the fire department?

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.

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.

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.

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

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/

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

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.

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!

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

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.
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