Christmas is especially meaningful for children ~ that’s why every child should have a few presents on Christmas morning. In our ongoing efforts to provide sources of free and low-cost toys and gifts to our readers who need a little help in stretching their Christmas dollars during this very difficult year, here are a few suggestions:
- The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots program just might be the granddaddy of all toys for kids charities: request a toy from Toys For Tots. Use the drop-down menu to select your state. All requests for toys must be made through your local campaign office.
- Contact your local Christian church and ask if they have any kind of a Christmas gifts for kids programs and what you need to do to signup your kids.
- “The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program provides new clothing and/or toys for children. A sponsoring company or corporation places a Christmas tree in a secure, high-pedestrian traffic area or lobby. The tree is decorated with numbered paper angel tags with the first name, age and gender of a child who will receive the gift. Contributors remove one or more tags from the tree and purchase appropriate gifts for the child or children described on the tags. The toys are then delivered to the unit and later picked up by the parent to distribute to the child/children on Christmas Day.” Contact your local Salvation Army for details on how to signup your kids (I couldn’t find any way to signup on their website). If you’re able, please pick up a tag and buy a Christmas gift for a needy child when you see an Angel Tree at your local retail store.
- If you or your spouse is in prison, contact Chuck Colsen’s Prison Fellowship Ministries to provide your child with Christmas gifts through their Angel Tree Project “…a ministry that reaches out to the children of inmates and their families with the love of Christ. It seeks to transform the lives of these families and to reconcile them to their Heavenly Father and each other. In Matthew 18:5 Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” There are children right in your community who are among the most at-risk children in the nation. Angel Tree provides an opportunity to connect with those families and begin ministering to them at Christmas and then continue through a variety of year-round ministry opportunities.”
Here are a few online suggestions:
- Print off beautifully drawn folding paper toys that you can make yourself from the workshop of Marilyn Scott-Waters. Her site contains printable cutouts that you fold and tape or glue together. There are also several children’s picture books that you can read online.
- Here are 101 ideas for making your own Christmas gifts.
- Here are a couple of free, online Tic-Tac Toe games: in this one, you’re an Elf playing against the Grinch. Play against another player in this Elf versus Santa version.
- Lots of free online Christmas games can be found here, and here.
- Click on my Movies category for good movies you and your kids can watch online for free.
need help with christmas toys anything you can help me with I have 3 girls 16,10,13 and my adress is 827 Timkin rd Tomball tx 77375 and my e-mail is arcoiris1812@gmail.com Thankyou and GodBless You All
single mother of six kids looking for help with christmas
mother of one a nine year old little girl who is a special needs child in need of christmas toys please help us if possible
20 year old single mom of two needs help with christmas.
I am a single mother of five, in need of Christmas help
single parent of 3 is asking anyone for just a little help this holiday season i work full time but it just isnt enough to make it these days. It gets very hard for me some times I feel like giving up but I know Im all my kids have and they need me but any help would sure make our holiday better.
I am a mother of a 3 year old son. We lost daddy in a tragic motorcycle accident lasat year. I was an at home mommy and loved every minute of it. Since he has passed I got my GED and started full-time in college for Medical Billing. I am barely feeding me and my son. He is so excited about christmas this year and for the second year in a row we will be without presnts. Would just love to have a truck under the tree for him this year. Anything would be great. We would be very greatful for anything new or used.
To whom it may concern,
My name is Tammy, I am a wife and Mommy of four beautiful children, Rebecca 11, Alexis 7, Steven 5 and Nicholas 2.
We have had the hardest year. Struggling every day. My daughter was diagnoised with Epilepsy and my youngest son who was born with Down syndrome and still can not eat and has had surgery to try to correct this problem, The surgery was really hard for him, But thank God he is slowly improving. My husband has lost all overtime at work. Now his pay of $300.00 a week is not cutting it at all for our family of 6. We have just lost our house and have no idea where will we be for Christmas. Our van is on its last miles. Were really in a bind in every way.
The odvious is we have not a dime to our name and Christmas is around the corner.
We have tried many different thing to try to raise some money for the kids christmas, including trying to sell some of our household items, with no sucess.
I have also tried sweepstakes and giveaways.
So a friend gave me the idea to write a letter and mail it out in hopes that someone is looking to help a family this hoilday.
It breaks my heart at the thought of having to tell them the truth about Santa at such young ages. Their really good kids who have been though a lot in their short lives.
They have had a lot taken from them, to have to take Christmas from them too will just kill me and their father. We know that they will not get what they have asked for on their Christmas list, But to be able to go to the store and get them some things would be awesome.
Any help would be greatly apperciated.
Thankyou for taking the time to read my letter. Happy Hoildays and God Bless.
If you would like to help our family this season please e-mail me at Tammy1074@aol.com.
Single mother of 3(3months-G, 4-B, & 12-G)needs a little help this year for Christmas this year. I was off work for 2 months and just went back to work. Right now I am playing catch up with the bills. Any thing will help.
I have a baby boy 9 months old and he will not be able to have his first christmas.We had to move out of our house because my landlord sold the house.We found a place but as soon as we got here my husband got laid off. Now we are 2 months behind with all our bills,and do even have the rent for next month.Please anything will help….
I have a baby boy 9 months old and he will not be able to have his first christmas.We had to move out of our house because my landlord sold the house.We found a place but as soon as we got here my husband got laid off. Now we are 2 months behind with all our bills,and do not even have the rent for next month.Please anything will help….
MY name is Danielle and I am the single mother of a five year old girl. About a month ago I lost my job, my so callled best friend illegally evicted us (my daughter and I) from the apartment we shared. I am currently unemployed and staying with my sister and her children. I have no income at the time and I am constantly stressing about how I am going to put presents under the tree for my girl. Please if you can help me it would be greatly appreciated.
I am a grandma of 2 girls Janessa age 4 years old and Sophie age 2. The came to live with me the beginning of this year. I need help in buying them christmas gifts. I only have a disabiality check that I get once a month and since I ge that welfare will not help me with money at all. Can someone help me with just at least one present a piece so that my grand daughters can have a christmas this year. I never ever done this I do not know where to turn to, to get help so I am reaching this away. Just for this year only and I know next year it will be a lot better. If you can please e mail me at grandma2happy@yahoo.com if you cannot I can understand may god bless you all and have a very merry christmas and a blessed new year to everyone.
I am a divorced, single father of 4 children. I lost my job due to no work and am living with my parents. I cannot afford to buy my children any toys. My ex wife will not even allow the kids to take home their gifts from me if I were even able to buy them some. I would like them to have some toys from me, their dad, to remember me when we are away from one another. At least they could play with some new toys at my parents house.
Disabled grandfather needs help for 1 grandson(12) and 1 granddaughter(7) can you help? God bless
Disabled grandfather needs help with christmas gifts for 1 grandson (12)and 1 granddaughter (7). Only have S.S.D. income for rent. Anything you could do to help me put a smile on their faces would be greatly appreciated.
God Bless
I am a single mother of a 8 month old baby girl. I had to flee my home of 12 years in fear of my life from my baby’s father. He literally tried to kill me after I told him I was pregnant…he totalled my car, pushed me through a wall, broke a mirror over my bed so that glass shards went everywhere, etc. I left my home, donated everything I owned to Salvation Army and relocated myself to have my child. Due to relocation I had to leave my job and have now been unemployed for over a year. I have been interviewing, but been unable to secure employment after the largest employer in the area laid off 2000 people. I just want there to be something small under the tree for my little girl’s first Christmas. A small book, or small doll…or even a card. I appreciate and thank you for reading this post and anything at all would really be appreciated.
I wrote in yesturday and I was thinking if people could just send a postcard to Addison from the town where they live, we could create a Christmas scrapbook for her. If you would like to do this I would really appreciate it. Addison Grace, 404 Indigo, SSI, GA 31522
Thank you all and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
hello my name is brandy. im in alabama . i have applied for my ssi over a year ago and still havent gotten my court date so money is very tight right now. im in need of help for christimas. i have 3 boys 7 6 2. anything would help us thanks so much and god bless christimas 2009
Thank you for visiting my blog, Brandy.
I only operate the blog from Thanksgiving to Chrismas, and because Christmas-related charities, etc. operate at that time as well, I’m afraid I have no new information for you other than what I have posted the last two years at Christmastime. Each year I work diligently to locate charities, online games, etc. to enhance the Celebration of Christmas for children and families. I never know who/what I will find, or who/what will find me each year.
Due to the recession, Christmas 2009 is likely going to be difficult for many of us. I myself anticipate the potential that I might get laidoff as well. Nevertheless, I will do my best to provide ideas and connections for my readers to help them have a Merry Christmas.
I wish there was more I could do for you but at this time of year, the best advice I have is to explore the options I’ve aleready listed here on Where’s Christmas?
God bless you Brandy, and may you have a very Merry Christmas
Todd
*This is one time in my life right now that I wish I were rich or pretty well off, but alas I’m not. I have 3 disabled boys and we lost our first home 3 and a half years ago, at that time I had to place my 2 older ones in seperate facilities while the youngest has been with me since in a 1-rm. efficiency apt. here in Charlotte, N.C. . Alan,(13), Charles,(17), and William,(8), years old. …When Charles was 2, 4, 6, and 8 mos.old, he was given all 4 sets of vaccines that contained mercury. At that particular time Charles was 2-2 & 1/2 yrs.old when he was diagnoised w/severe Autism which had been linked back to his vaccines. I did have a class-action law suit w/ a reputable law firm here in Charlotte, and for some odd and reasons I do not know is that right in the middle of my particular case was dropped for no reason, and I wasn’t given any decent reason as to why, I was never given any other law firm/attorney to refer my case to, and no one was given mine. I have been trying to get somebody for years now to look into this to see if there was an actual settlement and they just pocketed the money and then sent us on our way. I had actually finished all my pre-requisists and had earned a space/spot at one of Charlotte’s finest hospitals that had a 12 mo. Surgical Technology Trainning Program, yet at the same time, Charles was diagnoised w/severe Autism, and his needs exceeded my own, yet it hurt me so much deep down inside and I knew that giving up my space/spot to the next in line was devestating for there’s only 10-12 spaces per hospital, per year. *This was to become my life’s work, our livelyhood, and I knew by giving that up I may never have another chance to earn a space in what was to be my dream job of a lifetime. My 2 older sons which includes Charles, their SSi and Medicaid goes towards their care, and William’s is based on my husband’s salary. We recieve no government assistance outside William, and we just barely scrape by. Last CHRISTMAS we only had around $20.00’s to spend on each child, and I know “GOD”, “JESUS” cares and Loves us all, but when the Pastors/Preachers sermons are about the Greatest Gift to Mankind and like/such, and I know this to be True, yet when a Family has to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for Thanksgiving and there’s only a pair or two of socks, and 1 pair of shoes and or a cheap dollar tree piece of plastic for a toy; well I have to say that being Thankful for we never have kind of gets swept away and then it’s as if we were being punished for something we have/had no control over, and as to no fault of our own. There’s 10’s of thousands of Family’s/Families thats in the same shape as us w/more than 1-disabled Child in their households w/only one working parent, who at no time wants pity or folks feeling sorry for them as us, yet all we want is the same chance/chances as any normal Family who has already obtained the so-called “American Dream”, where they can sit around their supper/dinner table and each one’s asking the others how their day went, w/o one single thought that there are Families that have been split up w/no fault of their own or any such thoughts. I know the ecomony’s tight right now, yet there are Families such as ours who wants nothing from the government who uses our Precious babies as the FDA’s guinea pigs, or mice in a labortory, and fill their needles w/mercury and then they sit back and wait to see what will happen. If anyone’s intrested in helping a poor family who is not getting government assistance and doesn’t wish for the national debt to grow any bigger than it it is right now, it would be so appreciated and grateful for and to the donor. *We Thank You All For Your “PRAYERS” and Thoughts, and May “GOD” Bless Each and Every One of You, and That “He” will Continue to Do So! *We’d like to Thank You/Ya’ll in advance, and for any and all consideration that anyone may give us concerning this matter!!! ***Billy & Jackie, Alan, Charles, & Little William McPherson… ***P.S., Our phone # is: (704)605-3243… *Once again we Thank you/ya’ll!!! *The McPherson Family…
Hey I have an 11 year old daughter and I just inheirited 4 grandchildren three girl ages 7,6,and 3, and one boy age 1,thier mother is in prison for at least the next 4 years. I am asking for help to put a smile on thier faces come christmas morining. I would be overjoyed with whatever anyone out there can help me with.
im a single mother of two wopnderful children who are my world. Michael who is 5 and katelynn who is 13 mos. ive been searching for jobs through career central for ovewr a year now and still no luck. i have no idea how i will provide thema christmas this year. if anyopne has any resources avaiolable that may help please let me know . your hlp will be greatly appreciated. thank you in advance, renee
I have a son who will be turning 3 this Dec. and im always pregnant with a little girl who is also due in Dec. Plus with christmas theres no way i can afford to get them just the basic things they need let alone ANY extras. Im not asking for anything over the top. I just need help with simple needs. thank you so much for your time.
Will someone out there help me get some gifts for my grandchildren. 3 boys ages 14 ,15 ,and 17, and 2 girls ages 15,and 6 . Anything will help. Please help
anyone willing to help 2 children for christmas. a little boy 4 and a little girl 2.anything to bring a smile to thier faces.
i have three children ayesha 2, isaiah 6,aland 9 please someone out there help me get some gifts for them so they can have good chrismas my adress is 5171 madison rd delray beach florida 33484 thanks you
THIS YEAR IS DIFFICULT FOR MANY PEOPLE ;I HAVE 4 GIRLS 11-9-7-4 MY HUSBAND WORK IS LOW ,AND I CANT WORK; MY OLDES DAUGTER HAVE CEREBRAL PALSY AND I HAVE TO CARE HER EVERY DAYS ; THIS CHRISTMAS WE DONT HAVE MONEY FOR GIFS FOR OUR GIRLS IF YOU HAVE LEFT A LITTLE TOY PLEASE HELPME I FEEL VERY SHAME BUT MAYBE SOMEBODY HELPUS………..
hi my name is diana and i have a 4 year old daugther and 24 month old boy and i dont have a job i lost my job due to slow work can any body help to put a smile on my kids lives dont know what im gonna do if i dont have a christsmas for my kids please help thank you………
Hi my name is jeronica griffin, i am 20 years old and i have 2 beautiful daughters. My oldest is 3years old and i have a 2years old daughter who is special need. She requires alot of attention and by me having to take care of her 24 hours a day i am unable to work. I was attending beauty college but i was unable to finish due to my daughter. And not to mention i have 6 brothers and sisters that i am taking care of. My mom is on drugs and i have no idea were she is. So im asking anyone that could help me that would be so kind of you. Anything would help i have not been able to get them much of what they need. But they are amazing kids and i wouldnt trade them in for the world.Thank you and i really hope that my story will touch someone and out the kindness of there heart that they would help me and my family. THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS!!!!!!
Hi! I am a single mom of two boys ages 11 and 13. In January of this year we left my husband due to domestic issues. Since leaving both of the children have had surgeries, one has has had 3 outpatient type surgeries. This required me to have to take off from work. Then everyone came down with the flu one at a time. Now I am off because my work won’t let me work with a brace on my wrist, and will find out latter this week if I will be having to take off longer or if I will need surgery, etc. The oldest is also currently in physical therapy. Things are a bit rough but I’m believing for the Lord to provide for us this year. Hopefully next year will be much better. Would appreciate anything that would be a blessing to the boys for Christmas. If you cannot help me please help someone else such as Laura listed above or someone else you may know who has suffered abuse of any kind to be able to bless their kids this Christmas. There are many individuals who are in this situation, sad to say. Thank God for those of us who found the strength to leave for the sake of our children.
hi,this year is difficult for many people i have a girl she is 2 years old.this christmas i do not have money for girl for my girl if you have keft a little toy please help me
please help me to get some toys for my son for christmas 2009
i lost my job and my house i just want him to be happy for christmas it has been so hard on him what we have been throught he is 12 years old thank you so much for your help.
A good place to look is on Craigslist.
Always look under the free column, many people start cleaning out their childrens toys and there are some nice items here especially the electronics. I found last year so many nice games being given away and families that wanted to help give these items to families in need.
There are a lot of Churches and organizations that will place ads looking for families to help.
Also place an ad there requesting help, I discovered last year many people, Churches and organizations look for families to help this way–but please be careful–never place your address public especially since you have children.
If your local newspaper allows free ads at Christmas place an ad there.
I found this for the area of Charlotte
THE REVIVAL CENTER OR A NEW CHURCH TRYING TO HELP THE NEEDS
OF PEOPLE THATS IN NEED FOR TOYS THIS CHRISTMAS, IF YOU HAVE SOME
SORT OF NEED PLEASE CALL OUR PRAYER LINE 704-535-6446 OR 704-492-7996
DON,T WORRY GOD WILL SUPPLY
Thank you LJones for helping my readers by sharing the resources you find – you’re a very thoughtful woman! God bless you & Merry Christmas