HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE
Having a gift to unwrap on Christmas may seem trivial, but it may be the only gift they receive all year for some of these children. To each of them, it means the world.
These presents represent hope in what may feel like a hopeless season. They show these brave children that Santa will always find them, even when they have no home for him to visit. And these gifts let every child the Circle of Love supports know they have not been forgotten.
You never know how something as simple as letting a child know someone cares could affect their future outlook on life.
Since 2004, The Circle of Love has held our annual community-wide toy drive for children at risk of being overlooked during the holidays.
The inaugural drive in 2004 provided gifts to just 31 children. In 2019, more than 90 boxes were filled during the holidays, providing enough toys to allow each child to receive six presents. Together, The Circle of Love and its volunteers have provided more than 25,000 gifts to children all across the Birmingham-metro.
If The Circle of Love can provide hope, happiness, and a joyous Christmas experience during these kids’ otherwise uncertain lives, then our goal is accomplished.
2021: MORE WAYS TO GIVE THAN EVER BEFORE!
Spread holiday joy for children in need by dropping off toys at collection boxes around Central Alabama or shopping online and having gifts delivered. The 2021 Toy Drive is offering both options this year. Helping make positive holiday memories has never been easier.
HOW TO HELP
Helping children in need during the holidays is EASY. Here are two options:
TOY DROP-OFFS
- Gather unwrapped toys and others Christmas presents then drop them off at one of our 60+ locations throughout the area. Click HERE for a list of the more than drop-off locations in Birmingham and the surrounding communities.
- The drop-off deadline is Dec. 6.
ONLINE DONATIONS
- After consulting with area shelters, a list of toys has been identified for this year’s holiday drive.
- Alabama: Click this Amazon link to buy Christmas presents for these children in need.
- Tennessee: Click this Amazon link to buy Christmas presents for these children in need.
- Please share our toy drive information.
SHELTERS RECEIVING HOLIDAY TOYS FOR CHILDREN IN NEED
First Light – First Light is a center for homeless women and children located in the heart of downtown Birmingham. It offers the only emergency shelter accepting homeless women and families 24 hours a day in the area.
Grace House – The Youth Program at Grace house serves girls ages 6 – 18 who have been removed from their parental homes and placed in state custody. These girls are provided for 24.7 in a family atmosphere with homecooked meals, daily devotions, and live-in house parents.
Jessie’s Place – Jessie’s Place is a residential transformation program located in the heart of downtown Birmingham. They can accommodate up to 35 women and children.
Lovelady Center – The Lovelady Center empowers women through faith-based initiatives so they can return to society as well-equipped women of God. Children of these women live with them in the Lovelady Center. The program is about empowerment, hope, and a belief in the value of each and every human life.
Olivia’s House – The first residency program for women in children in Alabama, Olivia’s House has been improving the quality of care for chemically dependent women and their children since its inception in 1993.
One Roof – One Roof’s mission is to equip and empower our community to prevent and end homelessness through advocacy, education, and coordination of services. The vision for the One Roof Continuum of Care is for all community members to be appropriately, safely, and decently housed. Their goal is to connect individuals and family to appropriate resources related to their housing and service needs. One Roof serves as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s homeless Continuum of Care for Jefferson, St. Clair, and Shelby Counties.
Rural Alabama – In addition to several shelters and urban groups, The Circle of Love Foundation also reaches out to families in the rural areas of central Alabama where other agencies may not reach. Your generosity will help these children have presents to open on Christmas morning and created memories for a lifetime.