With the holiday season just around the corner, the CSA team is already gearing up for our annual gift distribution event for CSA client families on December 14 and 15. Food donations (click here for a list of needed items) and gift cards from Target, Walmart, Amazon, VISA etc. are especially appreciated.
During this event, parents visit CSA’s conference room – which has been transformed into a magical toyland – to select gifts donated by community members while their children can enjoy refreshments, activities and a visit with Santa at Hope’s Corner. CSA’s food pantry is also open during the event so families can pick up a special holiday food bag with items for preparing festive holiday meals.
With this year’s event, CSA is winding down the physical toy distribution component and focusing on gift cards from stores like Target, Walmart, Amazon and others, as well as VISA gift cards, so families can have more choice in what to give their children.
While we are accepting toy donations this year, we will not be able to store the remaining items afterwards and will be sharing them with agencies serving children in need. Why is this, you may be asking. The answer is that we spend approximately $2,000 each year to store leftover toys in storage pods throughout the year, funds that will now be available to expand the program to include senior clients, many of whom find the holidays to be an especially lonely time.
For information about donations and/or volunteering for the Holiday Sharing Program, please contact us at (650) 968-0836, extension 114.