Toys for a Fantastic Cause

Every year, 300,000 American children must be rescued from perilous home environments—abuse, neglect, violence, trauma. When those children enter foster care, they often show up with little more than the clothes on their backs. Can you imagine how it feels to suddenly leave behind everything familiar without even your favorite blankie or even your toothbrush?

That’s exactly why the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) and My Stuff Bags Foundation have teamed up to give distressed children a little comfort in the form of a blue duffel: a bag filled with toiletries, handmade blankets, clothing, and of course, a cuddly toy to ease the shock of the transition.

At this year’s fair, dozens of toy exhibitors are getting behind this cause by donating their toy floor samples—everything from Elmo and Barbie dolls to children’s books. “The children are extremely excited when they receive the bags,” says TIA Foundation Manger Amanda McDorman, who took part in last year’s distribution of toys to elementary school children. “Some of them just scream in shock, joy, and disbelief. The bag is a message that someone cares about them—and that’s exactly what a child needs to feel when he or she is in crisis.”

Look out for some fluorescent on the floor today: K.I.D.S. (Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc) volunteers, dressed in a blinding-orange T-shirt, will wander around the Jacob Javits Center booths, collecting the toys to be donated. Throughout 2009, the toys will be handed out to children of all ages, from infants to 18-year-olds; the duffel bags are gender- and age-appropriate. This May during National Foster Care month, My Stuff Bags Foundation and TIF will organize a special toy distribution.

And here’s the best part: You don’t have to be a Toy Fair participant to make a mega-difference in the life of a distraught kid. First of all, you can send some moula via the website mystuffbags.org (and yes, it’s tax-deductible). But even if you’re running a bit short on cash—and who isn’t these days?—you can donate new, non-edible, non-violent, and non-denominational items to My Stuff Bags. What kinds of things do people send? You name it—from crayons, books, and school supplies, to hand-held games, crafts and small photo albums.

Bonus if you happen to live or are planning to visit sunny Southern California, the volunteer center at My Stuff Bags could certainly use your help in stuffing the bags. Call 866-3MY-STUFF or visit www.mystuffbags.org for more information.