Wondering Where to Donate Toys Before Moving? Here Are the Best Places to Make a Donation

When moving across the country, there are plenty of tasks that should be jotted down on your moving to-do list and performed thanks to some moving tips and relocation hacks. Your moving stress can be significantly reduced if you know how to pack books for moving, donate furniture, and find the cheapest way to move out of state. You probably know that long-distance movers charge by the weight of your packages, meaning the more boxes you have, the more you’ll have to pay. Yes, storage services are an excellent solution for household goods you can’t bring along with you. But, storage units crammed with old and unwanted items, such as playthings, might unnecessarily spend your money. For that reason, make sure your moving expenses checklist includes only the needed things, such as moving essentials, clothes, first-aid kit, and some furnishings if you can’t imagine moving from apartment to house without relocating your favorite furniture.

For that reason, thinking about used toy donation is the important step you should deal with if you want to shorten the packing process, reduce your moving expenses, and declutter your future space ahead of time. And if you’re relocating in winter, it might be the best time of year to move if you’re wondering Where can I donate toys for Christmas near me? There are plenty of charitable organizations that you can rely on. It’s up to you to choose the nearest to you and the one that suits you the most.

What Are Good Donated Toys

Most charitable organizations welcome used toy donations of all kinds. However, there are several things to avoid when planning to donate toys:

• Don’t give broken or soiled playthings
• Don’t give games or puzzles with pieces missing
• Don’t give pacifiers and bottles. In fact, avoid any baby items
• Used toys are not recommended for hospitals – there should be only new items, with tags, due to strict hygiene guidelines
• Your donations should be unwrapped and visible
• Donating recalled goods is not a good choice – you should return them to the manufacturer

When Wondering Where to Donate Toys and Other Items, You Can Always Try With Charity Thrift Store

When thinking where to donate kids’ toys, you can’t go wrong with charity thrift stores. These retail establishments are run by charitable organizations to raise money. They re-sell old and donated goods and can be either for- or non-profit. So, if you’ve been wondering for a while Where can I donate used toys in my area?, Goodwill and the Salvation Army are definitely the most popular and most widespread thrift stores in the U.S.

Goodwill

The box full of children’s items, such as video games, clothes, playthings, or books, will be accepted with enthusiasm in Goodwill. It may give some of your toys directly to a child or sell the plaything in Goodwill’s thrift stores. Money from the sale will help support community efforts such as job training programs and employment placement services. Either way, when you donate used toys, they will be helping others in your community.

The Salvation Army

As one of the world’s largest charities, this organization helps out with disaster relief and humanitarian aid. It accepts donations for Toy Shop Distribution Center, so these toys must be new. Still, old playthings can be given for sale at the Salvation Army thrift stores. You can schedule a free pickup at your home or just drop off your goods.

Furniture Assist Helps About 20 Families Each Week

You’ve probably familiar with the fact that most charitable organizations have specific rules and requirements, so they don’t want to accept baby items or mattresses. However, if you are relocating from the New Jersey area, Furniture Assist will accept almost all the things you’ve planned to give. Even though they receive 60-90 requests each week, Furniture Assist’s resources allow them to assist 20 families once a week, providing necessary goods to those who need them free of charge.

Consider Specific Charities for Used Toy Donations

Some non-profit organizations have goals to help children in traumatic or crisis situations providing comfort through donated playthings These charities do not sell the granted objects but give them directly to kids in need.

Toys for Tots

This non-profit organization, run by the United States Marine Corps, has a mission to collect new playthings and give them to less fortunate toddlers all over the world at Christmas. The primary goal is to bring a smile on children’s faces and joy of the Christmas holidays. If you’re looking for the answer, Where can I donate toys for Christmas near me?, search no more. You can visit the website and find your Local Marine Toys for Tots Campaign. Once you do that, bring your present and make some kid happy on Christmas morning.

Ronald McDonald House

Some charities strive to create, find, and support those kinds of programs that directly help all children access medical care. Ronald McDonald House supports kids’ families providing them to be involved in their children’s care. The charity’s programs allow parents who are far away from their homeland to stay next to their child and have the opportunity to feel cozy without paying for hotel and food expenses. Your donations may help other family members, such as siblings, to feel more at home when they are distanced from their own playthings.

Loving Hugs Is One of the Best Places to Donate Used Toys to Kids in Crisis Situations

Another non-profit charity that makes a difference in children’s lives worldwide is Loving Hugs, helping the youngest in crises. They collect stuffed animals, new or gently used, and give them to children in refugee camps, war zones, and orphanages. Hugging or kissing fluffy toy can sometimes be just the kind of comfort these less fortunate children need, especially if they no longer have their families or are alone in the hospitals

Stuffed Animals for Emergencies (SAFE)

SAFE is one more worldwide known organization when you’re in search of a place where to donate stuffed animals. To grant your goods, you should visit the website and find the locations of current urgent needs. These have been affected by some recent natural disasters or other emergency situations. SAFE’s mission is to provide comfort to these children through donations of stuffed animals and clothes, baby items, books, blankets, etc.

Donate Old Toys to Local Shelters and Children’s Homes

Check out whether there are shelters for domestic violence survivors or shelters that accept families without their own homes in your area. If there are any, you can pack your box with all those games, puzzles, and dolls that your kiddos no longer want and give to the organization. Your gift can be an essential part of the healing process for children who have been deprived of a happy childhood. Just make sure to call ahead and find out if your present is welcome because some shelters won’t accept these kinds of donations.

In children’s homes, you can find groups of kids who live together, so games, books, stuffed animals, and dolls are always in demand. If there are any of these homes near you, contact them and ask if they need playthings, and Where can I donate used toys?

Military Support Groups and Health Care Institutions

In military families, where men and women are constantly on the move, relocating to a small town or vice versa, your gifts are a lovely welcoming sign for a military family with children in your city. So, where can you donate used toys? You can contact Operation Homefront for more details or the military family support group at your local base.

When it comes to health care institutions, some hospitals accept gently used playthings for the youngest patients. Still, most medical facilities will not take any old items, but just the new ones, due to the risk of possible infections and spreading illness.

Money Donation Is Always Welcome

In addition to playthings, you can always give monetary gifts. Operation Homefront’s expenditures serve to maintain programs that provide support to military families. In hospitals, cash contribution is used to purchase toys and different essential things for patients and families. Your donations can be easily done online – you just need to fill out a donation form and send it to the requested email.

Where Is the Best Place to Donate Items to Kids in Portland

If you live in Portland or its vicinity, you’ve probably heard of the non-profit Mother & Child Education Center. This is a location where you can give anything related to babies and their moms, from maternity clothing, baby carriers, diapers, children’s clothing, toddler car seats, accessories, to parenting books and shoes. This organization welcomes all people with kiddos to help future parents before, during, and after pregnancy.

Take Car for Your Unwanted Toys Before the Relocation – They Can Be Hilarious Gifts for Many Kids Near You

As we already mentioned, the relocation process is demanding, particularly when you need to determine where to get free moving boxes and all other packing materials for moving. If, in addition, you have to convince your family members what things to leave behind and what to pack, you’re far away from stress-free moving. All in all, you should organize your cross country moving properly and do some research about packing tips for moving, especially if you’re moving with pets or kids. Tips for moving out of state are generally excellent words of advice for how to prevent the most commonly forgotten things to pack.

Besides donating furniture and books, leaving tons of boxes full of puzzles, video games, dolls, and stuffed animals can make your life easier without worrying about how to pack a moving truck. If your kids are teenagers or older, they will probably be happy to know that their old toy or book will be of use to other toddlers, making them happy. Telling them that donating unwanted things is an act of goodwill where everyone is satisfied will fill them with noble feelings. And above all, relocating to a new place will give them a chance to make friends in a new city and chase after some personal goals where they will have no room for old toys that have outgrown.