Lend Santa a hand: Tucson toy drives underway

Christmas gifts can be an unaffordable luxury for those Tucsonans who are struggling to just pay the rent and put food on the table.

If the spirit of giving has moved you to contribute to a local toy drive, here are some options.

Donations to all drives should be new and unwrapped.

Casa de los Niños is teaming up with Tuff Shed for Stuff the Tuff, an effort to fill a Tuff Shed with toys and games for newborns through early teens. You can bring gifts to Casa de los Niños, 1120 N. 5th Ave., between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Dec. 14. If you can’t make that date, you can drop your donations between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday at Tuff Shed North Tucson, 3502 N. Oracle Rd., or Tuff Shed Tucson, 3310 E. Gas Rd, Ste 101.

Ward 3 Councilman Kevin Dahl is collecting donations of hand toys and art supplies, coloring books and more for the more than 50 children at the Wildcat Inn, a city of Tucson transitional housing shelter.

Drop off your donations at the Ward 3 Office, 1510 E. Grant Rd.,  Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., through Wednesday, December 18.

Easter Seals Blake Foundation and Aviva Children’s Services are collecting toys for kids and teens in foster care. You can drop off donations at Christ Presbyterian Church, 6565 E Broadway Blvd.,  on Dec 9-11.

If you’d rather shop online for the foster kids, here are shopping lists for Target, Amazon and Walmart.

You can also make a cash donation to Aviva online. The organization is a qualifying foster care organization and donations may be eligible for an Arizona tax rebate. 

For more info, call 520-327-6779, email [email protected] or visit the organization’s website.

News 4 Tucson is coordinating a toy drive to provide gifts, food and diapers. The beneficiaries include the Toys for Tots, the Community Food Bank and the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona.

You can donate to the drive through Dec. 18 at multiple locations across Pima County, including Tucson Fire Department stations, Northwest Fire District stations and Rural Metro stations. Other locations include Pima Federal Credit Union branches and Arby’s locations. Find a complete list at KVOA’s website.

The TV station will also be hosting live donations drives on from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Tucson Fire Department Station No. 7, 4902 E. Pima St., and from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec.18, at KVOA Studios, 209 W. Elm St.

Toys and games can be donated at any Fry’s grocery stores for distribution by the Salvation Army through Dec. 10. Find more information here.