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Ways to give this holiday season: SickKids gift donation guidelines
Summary:
Being in hospital during the holiday season can be tough for patients and their families. Staff and volunteers at SickKids do their best to create a fun and familiar environment for families, in efforts to normalize the hospital experience.
TORONTO - Being in hospital during the holiday season can be tough for patients and their families. Staff and volunteers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) do their best to create a fun and familiar environment for families, in efforts to normalize the hospital experience.
The community helps SickKids support these families by generously donating toys, books, games and other gifts that help entertain and comfort children during their hospital stay. These items go beyond the holidays and are also used throughout the year for therapeutic play with a Child Life Specialist, as birthday presents for patients, as rewards after completing a test or procedure, and simply as entertainment and distraction.
If you are planning to donate items to SickKids this holiday season please check out the holiday donations page on our website first and connect with the Donations Coordinator. There are several ways to support SickKids families this year, including:
- Gift-in-kind donations: donations of unwrapped brand new toys, books, electronics, crafts and other items. Please see donation guidelines and wish lists.
- Sponsor-A-Family Program: This program will match donors with a SickKids family who has been selected based on a priority need. Due to the overwhelming support and generosity from the community, the Sponsor-a-Family program is now closed. We have found sponsors for all eligible families.
Due to patient safety, privacy, and infection control policies, SickKids cannot accept all gift-in-kind donations and donors cannot give the items directly to the patients. SickKids created the donations guidelines to ensure that the community’s generosity is fully appreciated and put to good use during the season of giving. SickKids is accepting gift-in-kind donations until Wednesday December 14. Items that do not meet the guidelines or that are delivered past the deadline will be donated to other partner agencies in the local community.