Christmas is always a busy and exciting time here at TBHC. We ask several churches and individuals in the area to donate toys and gifts to fill our Christmas store, but have you ever wondered why we ask so much or how we pull it off? Look no further! Here, you can find all the answers you need about how we bless our families and our children every holiday season. Here, we cover all the information that we gave at our first Christmas in July Luncheon that we hosted to help our donors better understand how they can help us be successful and efficient during the hustle and bustle of Christmas Time.
Key Dates
Sept. 3 Wish list request sent out
Sept. 23 Wish lists completed and returned
Oct. 15-Nov. 4 Wish lists sent out to Christmas donors
December 2-10 All gifts need to be brought to TBHC
December 16-19 Foster Parents pick up gifts
FAQ’s
Q: I can’t find the exact item on wish list. Can I substitute?
A: Please call our office at 972-937-1321 to get help with this.
Q: Can our group take a partial list from several different children?
A: Logistically, this is very difficult for our staff. We would appreciate groups taking either a child’s entire list, or even a family of children’s whole list.
Q: Are Dollar Store Substitutions alright? (Barbie dolls, etc)
A: We ask for name brand toys for our kids in care.
Q: Can I purchase extra items for the child I’m buying for?
A: It’s difficult when one child receives an over-abundance of gifts, and the others don’t. As long as it’s not a very big difference in the number of items it’s okay, but if you want to do extra, consider doing the extras separately so we can make sure each child in the family is kept relatively even.
Q: What if I/we can’t take one child’s whole list?
A: Consider donating gift cards or stocking stuffers.
Q: What happens when TBHC receives more gifts than are needed?
A: We do keep extras on hand for children who are placed in our homes right around Christmastime. We also store extras so new placements throughout the year will have some toys to call their own, as well as for birthday gifts. Our storage space, however, is very limited.
Q: For what age group do you have the biggest need for extras?
A: Teens! Especially teen boys. When in doubt, gift cards are always a winner.
Q: How important is the due date?
A: Very! We go through each child’s wish list several times to make sure everything is there. When it’s not, we do some speed-shopping to make sure each item is taken care of. We don’t want the parents to have to come back later.
This is our usual set up for our “Christmas Store.” All our general donations from toy drives line the walls while our specific donations for each individual child get placed into their respective home boxes for easy sorting and pick up.
