The holidays should be a special time for every child, and each year the

Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay organizes a holiday gift drive to meet this need.

Children are chosen by their Volunteer Child Advocates based on the economic need of the family.

 

 

If you want to make a donation of a new, unwrapped gift for a child this holiday season, or host a gift drive at your business, organization or faith community, we are now accepting donations for our Holiday Toy Workshops to be held in Clearwater on December 12th and Hudson on December 14th--more than 700 children will be served through one of these Holiday Workshops!  Feel free to reach out to us if you would like more information on how you can get involved.

 

You can find the list of frequently requested toys here and/or shop our Amazon Wish List and have your gifts sent to us directly.  For more information, please contact us.

 

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HOLIDAY GIFTS

HOLIDAY GIFT NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.

 WE WILL HAVE TOY WORKSHOPS IN BOTH COUNTIES FOR YOU TO "SHOP" FOR NEW ITEMS FOR YOUR CHILDREN AND TEENS!

Shopping will be first come, first served, no early "shopping" will be allowed.

 

VCA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the average gift amount per child to help me come up with a realistic list with my VCA child?  On average, donors will spend between $75-$200 per child.  We have a couple of donors that will spend a bit more than that, but do try to keep your lists realistic and if there is a large item on the list like a bike, please make sure the other items are less expensive items.  Also, please include the child's clothing size, shoe size and diaper size if clothing, shoes or diapers are requested.

Are there items that won't get purchased?  Yes.  Please don't include the following on your lists:  violent video games, electric riding toys, hoverboards, guns and phones. 

The only thing my child wants is a giftcard, what do I do?  In general, donors do not like to provide giftcards on wishlists, so please do try to get your child to give you specifics like Nike Air Jordans Style, Color, Size rather than asking for a gift card to Foot Locker.  This will ensure that the child actually gets what they want rather than a giftcard that might not provide the entire amount of what they want.  This also allows our donors to find the exact item and to take advantage of holiday sales.  We will only provide giftcards for children at the holiday who are 11 years old and older.  If you need us to make an exception to this rule, you must give us a reason why we should consider it.  Lastly, we  never know how many gift cards we will receive until it gets closer to the holidays, so gift cards are never guaranteed.  If you are unable to provide a wishlist and would like to shop at the holiday workshop instead, please ask your CAM at the Holiday Workshop if you are unable to find anything for your older child at the workshop.

How do I find out where I need to go to pickup my child's gifts?  If you submitted a wish list and a pickup date, you were sent an email with your pickup location on November 15th.  As it gets closer, we will send a reminder email/text as well.

How will I get the gifts?  You will need to pick the gifts up at the designated date and time that is sent to you in mid-November.  If you are unable to make that pickup time, you will need to find a friend or family member who can pick it up for you.  Due to the fact that most pickup locations are off site, the gifts do need to be picked up at the designated place/date/time as our generous partners are unable to hold the gifts beyond the pick up period.  When making your requests, please keep in mind that you will need to fit all the items into your vehicle and/or arrange to borrow a vehilce to transport them. 

I filled out the Pasco County Form but I am unable to travel to Clearwater or St. Petersburg to pickup gifts, what's next?  First, thank you for filling out the form!  We will be using the information you gave us to help our donors for the holiday toy workshop better understand the likes, wants and needs of our children.  We are looking forward to a robust Holiday Workshop in both counties and your lists have helped our donors immensely.  We anticipate this year our Holiday Workshops will be better than ever.

My child is placed with a relative caregiver who has a child of her own and struggling to make ends meet.  Can I "shop" for her children too?  Yes.  We recognize many children in care are placed along with their siblings with a family member or non-relative caregiver who may not be financially capable to care for additional members of the household.

If I don't put in a wish list or I have a "Late Shelter" Child, what kind of items will there be at the Holiday Workshops? We will have all kinds of toys, clothing, body care products, games and even items like bikes and tablets. In past years, there has always been something for everyone.  For fairness, it is first come, first served and there will be no early "shopping" allowed. 

 

Want to see how your donation made a difference in 2018? 

Check out our Holiday Thanks Compilation: