Group hosts toy drive for southern Colorado foster care families

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Kids Crossing, a Colorado-based foster care placement agency, is hosting a toy drive until the 23rd of December. The agency says it's something they do every year, in-person and now with a virtual option to donate, to help ease the burden of holiday stress on foster care families.

"Holidays bring up a lot of emotions for our kids that are in our homes," says Sarah Bailey with Kids Crossing. "Foster parents have so much going on. They’re doing visits, they’re getting kids to doctors appointments, therapy appointments and if we can take a little of that stress off during the holidays off of them, we want to."

The toy drive, however, is not exclusive to toys.

"We're most in need of things for teens and our older age groups," Sarah says. "If you're a teenager and like it, our teenagers will like it."

What they receive will be wrapped by the Kids Crossing "elves" and delivered to 150 families in the La Junta, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and Denver area, totaling nearly 430 kids.

Families also have the opportunity to come to the Kids Crossing Colorado Springs office to visit the "Santa Shop," where kids can shop and "buy" presents for their siblings and parents. The kids then get to wrap them and take them home to put under the tree, giving them a full Christmas experience.

Items can be donated online using an Amazon Wishlist set up by Kids Crossing on behalf of the kids, or you can purchase elsewhere and donate in person. Kids Crossing is also willing to pick up items from you at your home.

If you would like to donate to the drive, click here. For more information on foster care and the agency, click here.