Salvation Army pleas for toddler toy donations as London Christmas Hamper Program nears end

The Salvation Army is calling on Londoners’ Christmas Spirit.

As their annual Hamper program nears its end, the charity says they’re short on toys for little ones, and Tuesday is the last day to donate.

“Well we’re actually really struggling for the final day of distribution,” said Shannon Wise, spokesperson for the Salvation Army.

“We know that there’s still a lot of families who still need toys for ages 0-2, and that’s the age group that we have, essentially, no toys for.”

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Asked about the lack of toys for the youngest age group, Wise said it’s hard to predict how many people are starting or expanding their families.

Donations can be dropped off at the Western Fair Progress Building from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Although the charity is calling on Londoners to donate once again, it’s not all bad news.

“So far we have given out almost 4,000 food hampers in London in our first four days of distribution, and as of right now (Monday night) we’ve given out almost 5,700 bags of toys,” said Wise.

The Salvation Army is also looking for monetary donations for its Christmas Kettle Campaign.

‘We’re about $10,000 behind where we were at this time last year. That’s a little concerning because every dollar stays here in London and it goes to provide all the services that our Salvation Army local ministry units provide.”

While they’re happy with what they’ve been able to do so far, Wise said there are still people who need their help.

“We don’t want to see any child go without this Christmas. If you can help, we would greatly appreciate it. You can drop off any new, unwrapped toys to the Progress Building today.”