Work is doing the yearly local charity donation drive, this year with a place that is basically pre-K combined with homelessness charity. Unlike some years, it’s pretty open-ended in that there’s a number of children with their current clothing size but nothing actually requested, and the guidance from HR was to get one thing, so like a reasonable outfit (like just a shirt/pants combo) or a toy. And of course nothing too crazy in cost (there’s not a limit set but I’m thinking $15-20 is reasonable). But the opinion I’m looking for is if it’s better to get something somewhat more useful (a good outfit for the winter) or something a kid might be more excited about (a reasonable toy that doesn’t take batteries or have a lot of parts to keep track of). Knowing of course at that age even clothes might be exciting.
Honestly, my first instinct is a nice toy, maybe a stuffed animal or something. But I don’t know enough about what parents involved with such a program would find more useful or would want to see their kid get. So I’m asking here since I know there’s a wide range of actual experience.
My company does the toy drive thing some years and I bought some Lego sets in the $20-30 range that came in a nice carry box. Sometimes I bought some sort of Barbie-like doll.
Regarding toys, I would recommend things like coloring books and a set of crayons, or beginning-reader books, unless the child or family has requested something specific.
And even if they do, most kids that age would be delighted to get a coloring books, etc. featuring Peppa Pig, Spongebob, etc.
This. Useful stuff is the every day quest of people in need. Something fun, a distraction from being forever in survival mode, is humanizing. Everybody deserves a little lightness, even the destitute.
Having worked with the homeless as a City Commissioner, the homeless told us they have plenty of clothes- the exceptions being :
Socks, nice warm socks, or hell just clean socks. I called a guy I know and got a deal on 4 dozen pairs of mismatched seconds warm winter (many wool) socks, and they were greatly appreciated. I even heard they were being traded for a while as a form of currency!
Underwear
Women’s interview outfits/suits. This can get a woman out of living in her car and back into a real job and housing.
In some areas- a warm, weather proof coat.
Best toys are something portable, sturdy and not easily lost. iirc. For a boy, a toy truck, for example.
Once I bought my son a package of socks that was too small for him. I only found out after I’d opened the package and washed them. So I sent them to his school with a note that teachers/aides could give them out as needed.
Did they ever. It was a wet, muddy day and little kids were coming in with cold, wet feet. I heard that aides from different classes would open his classroom’s door, saying, “Somebody said you had clean socks!”
Several years ago, I was involved in a local underwear collection project, and while they said they always needed socks, the one demographic that seemed to be consistently overlooked was underwear for grade-school aged boys.