how to donate stuffed animals

by Mr. Dudley Bartell 9 min read

Ways to donate stuffed animals:

  • Giving them to someone who wants them
  • Donate them to charity thrift shops
  • Give them to animal shelters
  • Donate to police or fire departments
  • Donate to hospitals
  • Donate via SAFE or other organizations

Here's Where to Donate Toys to Kids Who Need Them Most
  1. Charities. There are so many charities that will accept gently used toys and distribute them throughout their networks. ...
  2. Buy Nothing Groups. ...
  3. Hospitals. ...
  4. Children's Homes and Shelters. ...
  5. Daycare Centers. ...
  6. Police and Fire Departments. ...
  7. Churches. ...
  8. Recycling Programs.
Oct 13, 2020

Full Answer

How to donate stuffed animals [5 Easy Steps]?

May 05, 2021 · In donating used stuffed animals, your items must still be in good condition - without any odor, stain, or rips. However, if your toys are already damages, you may consider upcycling them instead. As opposed to directing them to the trash, you can use these broken stuffed animals as a cushion. Explore the idea of doing a home project and make a ...

Where is the best place to donate stuffed animals?

Nov 21, 2020 · When it comes to donating stuffed animals and making used toys donations, there is yet another place where you can donate these things. Churches are a good place to donate things to. Often these churches work in collaboration with various non-profit organizations and provide the required help to the poor, needy, and less fortunate.

Where can I Donate my gently used stuffed animals?

Jun 22, 2021 · This organization accepts gently used stuffed animals, blankets, books, children's clothes, and baby items, and then finds organizations in the area that can use the donations for youngsters who ...

Does goodwill accept stuffed animals?

Jan 15, 2011 · Stuffed Animals for Emergencies (SAFE) collects new and gently used stuffed animals and toys to be redistributed to police, fire and rescue, ambulance services, children’s homes, hospitals, life flight, and other emergency organization. Brandi Byers is the North Carolina representative, however, I am not sure where in NC she is located.

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Where is the best place to donate stuffed animals?

10 Places to Donate Gently Used Children's ToysCharities. Salvation Army and Goodwill are two of the most recognizable charities that take toy donations. ... Hospitals. ... Doctors' Offices. ... Daycare Centers. ... Shelters. ... Children's Homes. ... Military Families. ... Religious Centers.More items...•Nov 6, 2020

How do you get rid of stuffed animals?

We've got some excellent ideas for you, ranging from donating them, to repurposing them into handy items for around the home .Donate To Op Shops Or Not-for-profit Organisations.Donate To Emergency Services Or Hospitals.Donate To A Pet Shelter.Arrange A Swap With Family Or Friends.Hold A Garage Sale.More items...•Oct 24, 2020

Where can I donate stuffed animals in my area?

Here's Where to Donate Toys to Kids Who Need Them MostCharities. There are so many charities that will accept gently used toys and distribute them throughout their networks. ... Buy Nothing Groups. ... Hospitals. ... Children's Homes and Shelters. ... Daycare Centers. ... Police and Fire Departments. ... Churches. ... Recycling Programs.Oct 13, 2020

What do you do with too many stuffed animals?

In addition, if you've got room for a large amount of stuffed animals, a stuffed animal zoo may be a great storage solution for you. (You can fit a LOT of stuffed animal into one of these zoos.)

What Kinds of Stuffed Animals Can I Donate to Charity?

With all the birthdays and holidays, toys and stuffed animals start to pile up in the corners of the kids’ bedroom. You can invite your children an...

Which Charities accept My Stuffed Animal Donations?

Many charitable organizations will gladly collect your stuffed animal and children’s toy donations. DonationTown.org will help you find a charity i...

I Have Boxes and Boxes of Items to Donate! What Should I do?

DonationTown.org will help you connect with a charity in your area that will pick up your items from you at a convenient time. It is a fast, free s...

I Have Other Items to Donate to Charity, Too

Charities welcome a range of donations. Donate clothing, donate shoes, donate a dress, donate baby clothing and other baby items. Donate books, toy...

Charities

There are plenty of charities that will accept your gently used toys and distribute them to their various networks. Two of the most recognizable charities known for taking toy donations are the Salvation Army and Goodwill. But you want to call your local branch just to confirm that it’s accepting toy donations.

Hospitals

Have you seen any toys in your local hospital? People likely donated them. Many hospitals will accept toy donations to keep kids entertained in the waiting room or for their young patients to play with while they’re in the hospital.

Local Shelters

People often overlook shelters for the homeless and women’s shelters as toy donation sites. But these locations often have children with very few possessions, not to mention toys. Children who visit these shelters will feel more at ease when they have toys to occupy themselves.

Daycare Centers

If you have plenty of lightly used toys in your basement or attic, they’ll likely find better use in a daycare center than gathering dust in a closet somewhere in your house. With so many kids to entertain, daycare centers go through toys quickly. You’ll rarely find one that doesn’t need more toys.

Religious Centers

Local religious centers often provide childcare services to a variety of children during facility events and religious services. They’ll have kids of all ages, from newborns to school-age kids. Contact your nearest religious centers to inquire about what they need.

Police and Fire Departments

Firefighters and police officers will often carry toys, primarily stuffed animals, to comfort children at the scene of traumatic events. And these departments generally depend on donations from the public to provide this service. So, call your local fire department and ask whether you could drop off some gently used toys.

Recycling Programs

If the toys you’re looking to dispose of are worn, soiled, or in poor condition, consider recycling them. Contact your local recycling center and see if they take toys because it’s not always apparent that they will. Alternatively, check out TerraCycle. They have a partnership with Hasbro to recycle old toys for free.

How to donate stuffed animals?

5 Easy Steps for Donating Stuffed Animals 1 Talk to your child about stuffed animal donation. 2 Divide your things into Keep, Donate, and Trash piles. Rather than just grabbing things and throwing them into boxes, take the time to really go through and organize. I know how tempting it can be to skip this step, as you just want a clean organized home. 3 After you’ve made your three piles, let your child see what you have decided on. If they want to make some switches between Keep and Donate, go ahead and let them. It’s good for them to have a say in the process. 4 Find one or two places to donate your things to. Make sure to check all their guidelines and only bring along things to give them that are in good condition. 5 Head out as a family to the donation place of your choosing! It can be a really good experience to do this all together. To donate stuffed animals is to help others!

Does the Salvation Army take donations?

Salvation Army takes toy donations, but not at all locations. Make sure to give your local Salvation Army a call before heading over with a donation drop off. If they do accept toys, the proceeds typically go towards local programs for those in need which is an awesome way to benefit your community.

Can preschools use stuffed animals?

Many preschools and daycares greatly appreciate toy donations, including stuffed animals. Give them a call and let them know what you have because they don’t want to be over-cluttered either, but there’s a good chance they could use some more stuffed animals.

What is the best thing about stuffed animals?

Stuffed animals are the dearest to kids. While growing up, these stuffed animals prove to be the best friends of children. They add an emotional value to the kids. But the less fortunate kids couldn’t possibly have the pleasure of playing with them.

How to donate toys?

Ans: The process to donate toys is actually very simple. All you need to do is, locate an organization or charity that you wish to donate your toys to. You can check the credibility and background of the agency you are donating your toys to, before making the donation. Then, checking the eligibility criteria is a must.

Can you donate old stuffed animals?

Ans: The answer to this is very simple. You can donate stuffed toys that are old and of no use to you anymore. You can contact NPOs and charities and schedule a proper time for donating stuffed toys that you wish to give away. Not only you can donate these stuffed animals, but you can also give them to those who you find need them actually, in your neighborhood.

National and Local Charities

Both national and local charities are great options to consider when looking to donate any used toys. One popular option is Toys for Tots, a well-known charity that gives toys to children in need and is run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve. "Toys for Tots also has a literacy program as well," says Silvester.

Children's Homes and Shelters

If you want to make sure your used toys have plenty of children to love on them, then homes and shelters for children are an exceptional option. Even better, you can look up some children's local homes and shelters to ask if they're looking for toy donations in order to give back to the little ones in your own community.

Hospitals

Many hospitals accept used toy donations to share with young patients or even visitors, but be sure to ask about donation rules and guidelines before making the trip; they may have hygiene restrictions or other rules around what you can and cannot donate.

Fire Departments

Fighting fires is a dangerous job and sometimes it requires comforting scared children. A toy can be a great way to do that. If you want to contribute your child's gently used toys to this cause, connect with your local fire department or consider giving your items to Stuffed Animals for Emergencies (SAFE).

Places of Worship

Churches, synagogues, and mosques have all been known to host several events within communities to give back to those in need, often giving out everything from food and clothing to toys for children. If you have a lot of toys to donate, call around to a few different places of worship to ask if and when they're accepting any toy donations.

Recycling Programs

Ultimately, if no one wants your toys or they're in bad shape, you should try to recycle them. Search online to find out whether you have any local recycling non-profits near you. Hasbro has partnered with Terracycle to accept donated used toys and games. They're then taken apart and processed into raw materials.

Social

Stuffed Animals For Emergencies (SAFE) is a 23-year-old nonprofit that is run entirely by volunteers.

Celebrating 23 years as a nonprofit and over 300,000 stuffed animals donated to children in need!

We would love to help! Please fill out our survey by clicking the button below and we will do our best to get some donations to you ASAP.

Help SAFE!

Your support and contributions will enable us to continue supporting children in need. SAFE is run entirely by volunteers so 100% of your donations will go towards maintaining the SAFE website, getting donations in the hands of children, and supporting our chapter members.

What charities accept gently used toys?

There are so many charities that will accept gently used toys and distribute them throughout their networks. For example, thrift-store organizations like Goodwill and The Salvation Army will resell toys in their shops and use the profits to support their charitable work. You could also give to Toys for Tots, the United States Marine Corps Reserve-run program that gives donated toys to children in need. Toys for Tots hosts popular toy drives around the holidays, but they also accept gently used toys year-round. Cradles to Crayons is another organization that accepts new and nearly new toys to benefit low-income families.

Can daycares go through toys?

If you've ever been to a day-care center, you know that they go through toys quickly. That's why if you have a ton of lightly used toys to donate, you might contact a center in your area to see if they're able to give your items a second life.

Can hospitals accept toys?

Hospitals. Many hospitals will accept donated toys for their young patients to play with, or to keep children entertained in the waiting room; the same thing goes for doctor's offices. But keep in mind: If you want to donate toys to your local children's hospital, they must be new.

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