Catholic Charities Emergency Services, in conjunction with the Valhalla Detachment of the U.S. Marine Corps League, is sponsoring the annual St. Cloud Area Toys for Tots program to ensure no child goes without a gift during the holiday season. In 2022, the St. Cloud program distributed 15,995 toys and supported 2,750 children.
New, unwrapped toys are being collected for children, ages 6 months to 14 years, in drop boxes throughout the St. Cloud area. Catholic Charities Emergency Services prefers that toys are placed in these drop boxes, which are coordinated by Marine Corps League members. A list of the drop off sites can be found on the St. Cloud Catholic Charities website at https://bit.ly/3V0Cgw4.
Emergency Services is also accepting toy donations on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesdays from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the loading area of 157 Roosevelt Road, Suite 100, St. Cloud, Door D (back of building). Please do not leave donations outside their doors, as they must be collected by Catholic Charities staff.
Online donations may be made to the local Marine Toys for Tots Campaign listed on the Catholic Charities website at https://bit.ly/3gropQe. (Local donations are utilized within the campaign area.) Monetary donations are used to shop for items that the program may be short of for certain age groups.
Toy distribution for families begins Thursday, Dec. 14. Families must register online before Friday, Dec. 8, at 11:45 p.m., with forms found on the Catholic Charities website.
For more information about registering, distribution dates and donating to the St. Cloud Area Toys for Tots program, visit ccstcloud.org/toysfortots.