Trentadue Torres Group Annual Christmas Marketplace and Toy & Food Drive

HERE ARE SOME HANDY DONATION GUIDELINES FOR OUR CHRISTMAS MARKETPLACE TOY & FOOD DRIVE!

TOY DRIVE GUIDELINES FROM SICK KIDS

We are extremely grateful for gifts to benefit our children and families, however do have some guidelines on what we are able to accept for the Hospital environment. For Infection Control and the safety of our patients, we are only able to accept donations that are new and recently purchased. Unfortunately, we are not able to accept gently used or previously owned items.  This includes toys, stuffed animals, VHS tapes, books, magazines, electronics, clothing, and furniture.

All of these guidelines have been developed in consideration of our infection control, safety, and privacy policies. We are not able to accept items that fall outside of these guidelines.

Items that are dropped off and do not meet our Donation Guidelines and acceptance criteria will be donated to other community agencies, or disposed of as appropriate.

Activities and Toys

We can only accept donations of brand NEW toys and activities that have been purchased within the last three months. Even if items appear clean or have never been played with they may have been exposed to dust, pets and bacteria. Due to our patient’s fragile immune systems, we cannot accept gently used or previously owned toys.

We can accept toys and activities for infant through to teen age groups! Examples of toys and activities that are beneficial for the Hospital environment include craft kits; non-violent, rated “E” for Everyone PlayStation 3, Xbox, Wii, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo DS video games; stickers; sticker books; crayons; colouring books; and new release DVD movies.

Please note, new stuffed toys more than 18 inches tall are not accepted due to limited space.

Check out our Treasure Box Wish List for a list of popular toys and gifts for various age groups!

ART

With every art donation request that comes to SickKids, the internal Art Committee conducts a thorough review of the piece/donation, so as to provide final approval or kind decline.

Please contact Marisa DiCarlo-Ancic  for more information about the process.

BOOKS

Books are an important part of the hospital experience for our patients and families at SickKids. Books can be used in a variety of ways such as in our Family Centre, unit playrooms, clinics, and patient rooms for entertainment and learning opportunities.

We are happy to accept donations of new books. Books that are beneficial for the Hospital environment include board books, hardcover or softcover picture books, fiction, and non-fiction, published within the last two years.

Check out our Children’s Library Wish List  for a list of popular books!

We cannot accept books that have inscriptions, damage, strong odours, or “Touch & Feel” fabrics e.g. felt, fur.

EVENT TICKETS

We welcome ticket donations to child and family friendly events such as sports games, concerts, and plays.

In order to allow sufficient time to find a recipient and make necessary arrangements with the patient and family, all ticket donations should be received at least 48 hours prior to the donated event.

Please contact 416-813-8787 or [email protected] to make arrangements.

GIFT CARDS

We are happy to accept donations of gift cards. Gift cards make wonderful gifts, especially for our teens!  They can also help our team purchase items needed for events and activities such as craft supplies from an art store.

FOOD AND TREATS

We cannot accept any food products, dietary supplements, or beverages. This includes unopened food such as candy, baked goods, and food meant for display such as Gingerbread Houses.

FURNITURE AND BABY EQUIPMENT

We only accept donations of brand new furniture and baby equipment such as strollers, high chairs, and infant seats, if they meet the hospital’s safety standards and infection control policies. Before you donate furniture, please contact the Donations Coordinator to discuss acceptable products.

TELEVISIONS, GAMING SYSTEMS, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Electronic devices such as televisions provide entertainment, distraction, and comfort to patients and families throughout their stay at SickKids and can help make it feel less like a hospital. Examples of electronic devices we use include televisions, DVD players, tablets, gaming consoles, and lap tops. In order for us to use an electronic device, it may need to be modified so that it meets the hospital’s safety standards and installation needs. Before you donate an electrical device, please contact the Donations Coordinator to discuss acceptable products or monetary donations that can be made to the Toy and Game Fund to support the purchase.

HAIR

Unfortunately we cannot accept hair donations at SickKids. However, there are many other organizations that will – please see a listing of organizations which accept hair donations here.

HOMEMADE TOYS AND CRAFTS

Due to infection prevention and control policies, we are not able to accept homemade items such as toys and crafts. The only exception is knitted items below.

KNITTED ITEMS

We will accept knitted baby blankets for our Woolies Program. Baby Blankets are welcomed in pastel colours. They should be a minimum of 36 x 36 inches and made with new, soft baby wool, washed after being made and then individually bagged to keep them clean. They must be free of any fragrance, musty odours, smoke, and food aromas. Unfortunately, we cannot accept donations of knitted baby mittens and booties, as our babies do not wear these.

At this time, we are not accepting any knitted baby blankets for our Woolies Program as we are currently at capacity. Please contact the Donations Coordinator to find out when we will start accepting baby blankets again.

Other knitted items that are received will be shared with our Women’s Auxiliary (WA), who in turn sell the items with proceeds coming back to SickKids, and/or with other community agencies.

WHITCHURCH-STOUFFVILLE FOOD BANK

From time to time we run low on items. Please help us with the following items:

* Please, No Expired Items

  • Powdered Drinks
  • Canned Fruits  
  • Canned Stew / Chili
  • Canned Pasta (Ravioli/Alphagetti)
  • Canned Tomatoes
  • Canned Gravy
  • Hot Chocolate / Coffee
  • Jello & Pudding Mix
  • Sidekicks / Mr.Noodle
  • Powdered Milk
  • Honey *
  • Cheese Whiz *
  • Sugar / Flour
  • Hygiene Products
  • Peanut Butter
  • Kids Juice Boxes
  • School Snacks
  • Canned Cat and Dog Food
  • Laundry / Dish Soap
  • Kraft Dinner

* Highly Requested Items for School Kids