The Idea Behind the Christmas Toy Sale

The Christmas Toy Sale is right around the corner. On Monday, December 16, we will host of the 33^rd year of this affordable Christmas shopping event. We expect it to be an excellent experience as it has been in years past.

For months, Parents look forward to browsing for gifts with us because when we open up our shop, the prices are extremely low. With help from our donors, we collect an assortment of brand new children’s toys and then mark them down to a small fraction of the store price. Many items are sold for a third or a fourth of the amount they would cost in most stores. At the sale, the original price tag is left on and a new price label is placed beside it, so attendees can see the price difference.

However, when people hear about our event, a common question we receive is “why do you sell the toys instead of giving them away?” Some people feel that we are asking too much of the working poor community we serve. Yet, the reality is that Hope CommUnity Center chose to hold the Toy Sale instead of a toy giveaway because we are very in tune with our community’s needs and desires.

We hold the Toy Sale because:

• We believe in creating opportunities for everyone to give and receive.

As a service learning community, we feel it’s important that all community members feel that they are both givers and receivers. Throughout the year, Hope CommUnity Center provides families with food, a wealth of information, and enriching programs. However, families that are involved at Hope CommUnity Center are always invited to serve with us. Every year, teenage Sin Fronteras Youth Group members organize a summer camp for younger children in the area. Some parents who attend our adult education classes, assist with event preparation or volunteer at our events.
Shopping at the Toy Sale is just another way that community members can serve. When they purchase gifts for their children, parents are investing in Hope CommUnity Center’s mission and services that benefit their families. They are putting money back into their community and funding a brighter future for area’s working poor residents.

• Just like everyone else parents in our working poor community want to be able to provide a Merry Christmas for their children.

Many children who receive holiday donations from local charities rarely get to experience the joy of getting a Christmas gift from a parent. While their parents are glad to get assistance, they often feel like inadequate providers because they can’t participate in this season of giving.
The Toy Sale is an empowering experience for Central Florida families. Parents get to shop with dignity, personally selecting and buying children’s toys that are priced reasonably for their budgets.The Toy Sale continues to be very popular with both the parents and the children in our community. Last year alone, we made it possible for over 2,000 children to receive brand new gifts from family and friends. People keep attending because it is a chance to shop with dignity and shop with a purpose.

The Toy Sale continues to be very popular with both the parents and the children in our community. Last year alone, we made it possible for over 2,000 children to receive brand new gifts from family and friends. People keep attending because it is a chance to shop with dignity and shop with a purpose.