Host Your Own Toy Drive

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We offer a variety of roles to match your interests and availability.
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Use individual cards to highlight related items, features, links, or actions. Each card should include a short title, description, and an optional clear call to action link.
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Use individual cards to highlight related items, features, links, or actions. Each card should include a short title.
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Use individual cards to highlight related items, features, links, or actions. Each card should include a short title, description, and an optional clear call to action link.
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Use individual cards to highlight related items, features, links, or actions. Each card should include a short title.
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Use individual cards to highlight related items, features, links, or actions. Each card should include a short title and description.
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Use individual cards to highlight related items, features, links, or actions. Each card should include a short title and description.

Group volunteering

Looking to volunteer as a group? Whether you're part of a workplace, school, or community organization, we offer special opportunities for group service projects. Submit a group application form today to arrange a group volunteering experience.

Additional ways to get involved

Support our mission in creative and meaningful ways beyond traditional volunteering.

Use your talents for good

Are you skilled in graphic design, photography, social media, or event planning? We welcome volunteers who can help spread awareness and support our programs in creative ways.

The holiday season is synonymous with giving, and few acts of kindness are as heartwarming as providing toys to children in need. Whether you’re organizing a toy drive in person or online, it’s an incredible way to make a positive impact in your community. It’s a rewarding experience that doesn’t require a huge investment of time or resources.  

Even a small toy drive can make a big impact. 

See below for tips on how to run in-person/virtual toy drives.

The Salvation Army is grateful for your interest in running a toy drive in support of our Angel Tree Christmas Toy Drive.  We expect to provide toys to 4,500 children this Christmas, and we couldn’t do it without the generosity of Londoners.

Email rebecca.thiessen@salvationarmy.ca if you have questions or to arrange a pickup. 

 

Tips for running in-person toy drive

We are happy to help you with any of your Christmas/holiday toy drive questions/needs, however, we’ve created these helpful tips to get you started!

Designate a Drop-Off Location for the toys and ensure you have bins/boxes to place toys in as well as signs identifying them as donation bins*.

Storage – it’s important to consider where the toys will be stored as they are being collected. 

Determine Scope of Toy Drive – Some toy drives are open to toys/gifts for any age group while others focus on a specific age range or type of gift (like a book drive).  Determine ahead of time what you want to concentrate on and ensure this is on your promotional material. Please note that The Salvation Army accepts new/unopened toys/gifts valued up to $40 for children aged 12 and under.

Promote Your Toy Drive* – Getting the word out about your toy drive to as many people as possible is essential.   If your target donors are people within your organization or business, you might use an organization-wide campaign to reach your audience.

If you’re advertising your toy drive to the broader community, you’ll need to advertise more widely. Utilizing social media is a great way to spread the word, including posts about the donations you have received.  You can also post physical flyers and talk to local businesses in your community. 

*We encourage you to indicate that your toy drive is in support of The Salvation Army and we are happy to provide you with our logo and a letter authorizing its use to promote your campaign.  Please do not use our logo without permission.

Create and Publicize your Wish List – It can be helpful to give donors some direction regarding what toys would be best to donate to your drive. Consider creating a checklist or registry that donors can pick from as they go shopping.  The Wish List on our website can guide you in the most needed items for each age group.

Toy Delivery – Consider coordinating a few volunteers to help deliver the toys to The Salvation Army’s “North Pole” (J-AAR Expo Centre), ideally no later than December 10th.   

We are happy to support you with toy pick-up at the end of your drive, or throughout your toy drive if your space is limited.  Contact rebecca.thiessen@salvationarmy.ca or 519-660-5884 ext. 105 to coordinate a pick-up time.

Thank you for helping us help over 4,500 children this Christmas! 

Merry Christmas and God bless you.

Tips for running a virtual toy drive

If you’re passionate about giving back and want to make a difference in your community, organizing a Christmas toy drive is a fantastic way to get involved. It’s a rewarding experience that doesn’t require a huge investment of time or resources.   Even a small toy drive can make a big impact.

There are several advantages to running an online toy drive:

  • Convenience: Donors can shop our Amazon Wishlist from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the need to travel to purchase and drop off their gifts.
  • Wider Reach: Online toy drives can attract donors from outside your immediate community, expanding your impact.
  • Efficiency:  Donations are delivered to our door, eliminating the need for your business or group to manage physical donations!

How To’s

  • Confirm with rebecca.thiessen@salvationarmy.ca/519-660-5884 ext. 105 that you wish to run a toy drive to support our Angel Tree Christmas Toy Drive.
  • We will provide you with any promotional material needed (please note, you cannot use The Salvation Army logo without our permission, so it is important you don’t just copy and paste it from the web or other document).
  • Decide who you want to invite to be involved in your toy drive – neighbours, co-workers, staff, patrons to your business, your child’s hockey team – the possibilities are endless.
  • Share our Amazon Wish List with everyone involved in the toy drive.
  • Donations can be shipped to our address, listed on the Amazon site, or to an address you choose. Please make sure donors know which address you want it sent to.
  • If you choose to have donations sent directly to us please make sure the donors know to add the name of your toy drive in the Gift Message box under item #2-Choose gift options during check out. This will ensure we know the donation was part of your toy drive.
  • If you choose to have donations sent to another address you can drop them off at any of the locations noted on our website, or, talk to Rebecca about a pick-up.

Thank you for helping us help 4,500 children this Christmas!

Merry Christmas and God bless you.

Current Volunteer Opportunities

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