Toy drive for children in the Tampa area runs through Dec. 12.
A tradition is returning to the Tampa area, promising to deliver holiday joy to thousands of children and their families this year.
One Hope United is gearing up with its Holiday Hope Express to sweep through the region. The event, run by the nonprofit organization, will continue through Dec. 12 and aims to provide a gift drive that will bring holiday tidings to as many as 10,000 children and families. One Hope United is a foster care and adoption services agency for the Tampa Bay area.
The Holiday Hope Express is essentially a toy drive for children. But One Hope United officials try to encourage employers in the Tampa Bay area to organize their own workplace or community drives and deliver the gifts raised to central donation points for One Hope United.
Local businesses can also make monetary donations. They or their employees can go online to make a gift of funding.
“Every toy makes a difference,” said Damon Cates, President and CEO of One Hope United. “The Holiday Hope Express is a way for our community to come together and brighten the holidays for children who need it most.”
One Hope United provides resources to businesses that want to establish their own internal drives to contribute to the nonprofit. The Holiday Hope Express website includes resource links, such as the “Hope Conductor Toolkit,” which explains how each company can start its own toy drive.
The nonprofit provides support for social media campaigns, gift lists, flyers for advertising, and other support materials. One Hope United also advises local companies to wrap up their drives by Dec. 5, and the goods will be delivered to the nonprofit by Dec. 12. They recommend a shopping budget of $25 to $50 per child.
The deliveries to One Hope United will take place at 6800 North Dale Mabry Highway, Suite 164, in Tampa. The so-called “Santa’s Helper” will be Kirby Dameron, who will coordinate the delivery of the donated toys from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday.