This year filled with hope-inspiring challenges isn’t over yet. More than ever before, families need help from their communities to make the upcoming season a truly happy one. And while the CROSS Services Toy Drive may look different in 2020, the necessity is even greater. The good news is: Your donation can help brighten the holidays this year for local children and families.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT
What CROSS needs most this season is donations of toys and gift cards for its 40th Annual Holiday Toy Drive. Children 10 and younger will receive a new toy, while children 11 and older will receive gift cards.
Thanks to generous donations from the community and funds from the City of Maple Grove, CROSS’s pantry shelves have enough food to provide for families into the start of 2021. The organization will once again need food donations during its MN FoodShare Campaign in March.
WHERE TO DONATE
Prime Advertising is again participating as a Toy Drive drop-off site this year.
Though our doors are closed to the public for the time being, we want to provide a safe way for clients, employees, and friends to donate. We will have a CROSS collection barrel set up in the vestibule, just inside our front office door at 6450 Wedgwood Road N., Suite 100, in Maple Grove.
Please drop off new, unwrapped toys and gift cards at PRIME between 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30-11:30 a.m. Friday (except Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27) throughout the month of November.
CROSS is also accepting toys and gift cards at its donation site in Rogers or you may shop from an online wish list and have those items delivered directly to CROSS.
ADDITIONAL WAYS TO HELP
CROSS is still looking for volunteers to organize the Holiday Toy Shop.
Volunteers will prepare the shop in November and stock toys in December. Or sign up as a Shopping Elf and help families select items during regular shopping hours December 1-22. To volunteer, contact Pat at 763-425-1050 or Pat@CROSSservices.org.
Over the past several months, many local families have struggled with social, emotional, and logistical adjustments. CROSS offers assistance to help ease additional burdens, which is especially needed during this time of year. Consider donating a toy or gift card and brighten the holidays for children in your community. Become one of our cherished “Helping Hands Reaching Out.”