need help with toy donations

[Northerner]

im hoping some of you can help me please?

i have some scrollsaw patterns for some toys i would like to build to donate to
toys for tots or places like that but do they take wood toys or do these places
just want the plastic fantastic crap that is manufactured these days??

i tried looking up a toys for tots place in a nearby city but they just give a guys
name, no phone, no address, no email, nothing!

has anyone here made wooden toys and donated to a worthy cause?

hope you can help?
thanks

[wood-n-things]

I have found when making donations of toys it is best if they are natural wood and no painting. You could use Shellac for a finish if you really feel like you want a finish. We all know the paints we use are non toxic but proving it to someone who has tons of regulations to follow can be a deal breaker.

[Northerner]

i can agree with that.

[oily]

Hard to to beat the lack of knowledge sometimes ain't it.

[campasano]

I'v had St Jude's Children Hospital refuse my offer of free toys with no explanation. I believe it is for liability reasons. Try your local hospital's pediatric dept. or the military toys for tots program.No one will accept painted toys so just leave them natural.

Mike

[Northerner]

i wrote to my local TFT the other day and i finally heard back today and they would be happy to take any wooden toys i have to give. so im happy and i will start cutting out a bunch of cars, and i need to order a big bag of wheels and axles for them.
i heard the salvation army likes to get wood toys also.

[Jim Finn]

our club gives toys and cash to The Salvation Army. Ronald McDonald house also takes some of our toys as do the Shriners. Local childerns Hospitals take them here also. We give away over 2700 toys a year. ( this from about 6 guys in our club)

[Northerner]

here is what i have been working on the past couple weeks and will be dropping them off at my local Toys for Tots tomorrow so they can hand them out to the local kids.

i will get started much earlier next year and make a lot more plus more of my own design. they were fun to build and hopefully they will get played with a lot.

[wood-n-things]

Very good of you...

[Dave]

Grand idea put into action.
Merry Christmas to you.
Dave

[Northerner]

i will make sure to get an earlier start next year. two weeks wasnt enough
time to make as many as i wanted to. plus im hoping my scroll skills will
get better and faster.