Sleep Train Mattress Center's annual Secret Santa Toy Drive is happening now through Dec. 11. Each year, the drive collects new, unwrapped gifts to help make the holidays brighter for California foster children.
Campbell's is one of the foster care agencies that benefits from this drive.
"It supports hundreds of our foster youths throughout our foster youth program," says EMQ FamiliesFirst Manager of Fund Development Richelle Donaldson. "It’s definitely a major support to hundreds of families that we work with."
The organization, which serves foster children throughout California has been partners with Sleep Train's Foster Kids Program for the last four years and benefits from the company's various drives throughout the year.
"The really wonderful thing about this program is that it supports foster kids of all ages," Donaldson says.
Donating a new, unwrapped gift for a local foster child this holiday season is rewarding in many ways.
"Foster children live in an uncertain world, where moving into a new home can happen anytime - even around the holidays," said Shauna Nuckles, media spokeswoman for the drive. "Often forced to tearfully leave behind their toys, friends, and even their clothing, a present on Christmas morning means the world to these kids, who seldom get anything brand new."
This year, Sleep Train has decided to sweeten the deal for people who donate to the drive, and give away a Kindle Fire e-tablet to one lucky donor.
To enter, one must "like" Sleep Train's Facebook page. Then, have someone snap a zany, creative photo of you dropping off your donation of a new, unwrapped gift to the Sleep Train store location of your choice, and upload the photo to the Facebook page.
Then, the voting begins! Have your friends, familly, co-workers and neighbors vote for your photo. The lucky donor with the most votes wins the Kindle Fire.
Not sure what to donate? Sleep Train has asked foster agencies from all over the state what their children's biggest wishes are for this Christmas. Here are the most common answers:
Boys: Legos, Star Wars toys, action heroes, sports equipment (footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, baseball equipment, etc.), movies, music players and headphones (iPods, mp3 players, etc.).
Girls: Clothing, hair and fashion hair accessories (scarves, gloves, barrettes, etc.), make-up (lip gloss, nail polish, etc.), diaries or journals, multi-ethnic dolls, books, arts and crafts sets.
All Children: Gift cards, board games (Monopoly, Sorry, Candy Land, etc.).
Young Children: Stacking cups or blocks, cars and trucks, play kitchen/cooking supplies, electronic learning toys (like LeapFrog and V-Tech), ride-on toys.
Gifts should be new and unwrapped, and can be dropped off at any Sleep Train location, such as the one at Bascom Square, 1558 So. Bascom Ave.
Mayra Flores De Marcotte contributed to this article.
