When children outgrow their toys, not everyone can afford to buy new ones.
That’s where the Salvation Army’s High Point Community Church Toy Library comes in.
At the Toy Library, children can choose from a collection of more than 1,000 items.
“It’s like Christmas throughout the year for the children,” said Joshua Cain, Salvation Army corps officer and pastor at the church.
Cain said each Salvation Army unit is given the freedom to tailor the services they provide to the community they serve.
The Vic West unit serves many families who live in apartments with young children, he said, and families come week after week to borrow new toys.
“At the same time, they gather at the community centre to socialize and to allow the children to make friends, play or ride around on the large riding toys, which they can’t do at home.”
The Toy Library, which has been in operation for 12 years, offers items suitable for children up to their early teens, including everything from traditional baby dolls to wooden blocks, books, puzzles, games and electronic gadgets.
It operates just like a regular library, with the 100 families registered with the church able to borrow new toys from the collection for a two-week period.
The church opens for three hours every Saturday morning to allow families to meet and play with toys together.
On a typical Saturday, close to 50 will turn up.
New toys are donated or purchased from grants they receive, such as from the Times Colonist Christmas Fund.
“Families are discovering that money does not go as far as it used to,” Cain said.
“Our Toy Library — which has been super-popular — is our way of meeting the needs of the young families with children in our community throughout the year.”
HOW TO DONATE TO THE CHRISTMAS FUND
You can donate by going to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund web page at tcchristmasfund.com.
That page is linked to CanadaHelps, which is open 24 hours a day and provides an immediate tax receipt.
Or mail a cheque to the Times Colonist Christmas Fund, 201-655 Tyee Rd., Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5.
You can also use your credit card by phoning 250-995-4438 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
