About the Holiday Toy Shoppe Giving the Gift of Giving...

InnVision Urban Ministry's Holiday Toy Shoppe enables low-income families in the area to select, wrap, and give holiday gifts to their children for free.  This wonderful program has reached over 1,000 children in the past three years. 

By donating a new toy, you can gift a parent with the joy of giving gifts to their children this holiday season.
 
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
1.    Give new, unwrapped gifts.
2.    Organize a toy drive.
3.    Help with logistics and marketing.
 
How It Works
There are many  things that have to happen before the Holiday Toy Shoppe  opens for business.  Here is the basic flow of what happens:
1.    Toys are donated.
2.    Eligible families are notified and they register to participate.
3.    The Toy Shoppe is set up.
4.    Families come and shop.
 
1. Donating Toys
In November, organizations and individuals throughout the area begin to collect new, unwrapped toys or funds to purchase toys for our Holiday Toy Shoppe. They hold toy drives, pass out flyers, and host giving collection barrels to encourage others to donate new toys for our shop. 
 
2. Eligible Families
The PAUSD notifies families of their eligibility and gives them instructions on how to sign up to participate. The school district or an InnVision partner agency  provides parents with a referral letter  to present at the Toy Shoppe.  Families without a referral letter may also shop.  To prove eligibility, they must provide proof of income and birth certificates for all children.  Appointments are made by either calling 650-853-7066 x212, sending email to toy_shoppe_2006@yahoo.com.  The messages may be left in either English or Spanish.
 
3. The Toy Shoppe
The week before Christmas,  we gather all the toys that have been donated and set up the thousands of gifts in our Holiday Toy Shoppe.  Gifts are arranged by type and/or age group, to make gift selection easier.  We also set up gift-wrapping stations and a welcome desk to greet registered shoppers. 
 
4. Shopping for Gifts
The Holiday Toy Shoppe is open three days for families to shop.  All shopping is by appointment only.  Gifts are displayed in our =93store=94 where participants can =93shop=94 free of charge for their loved ones. Holiday Toy Shoppe organizers make sure that for each child, parents may select a gift, a book or puzzle, a stuffed animal and a stocking stuffer.  Each family is also encouraged to select an interactive family game to share. After all the selections have been made, the parents can use the gift-wrapping stations to wrap the presents.
 
The Holiday Toy Shoppe is sponsored by the Urban Ministry division of InnVision.  For more information about InnVision visit www.innvision.org .  For more information about the Opportunity Center and the Urban Ministry division, visit www.opportunitycenter.org.