Looking for a way to give back this holiday season, but don’t have time to volunteer? Several businesses and organizations from Bay Minette all the way to Orange Beach are collecting toys and food to distribute to needy families during the holidays. Deadlines are approaching quickly, but it’s not too late to donate this year.

North Baldwin

North Baldwin White Christmas has been serving the elderly and struggling families with children for more than 30 years.

This year, director Faye Robinson said she expects to serve more than 300 families in north Baldwin County, many of those families having more than three children each.

“This year, we have more new ones coming in than we have had in years,” Robinson said. “This year is hard. I’m getting less donations and more people that need help. The economy is so bad, and we have single mothers that have children. Hopefully there will be enough to go around.”

Robinson said she hears many heartbreaking stories about hardworking parents who have lost jobs and now have to ask for help to provide for their children during the holidays.

 “You just hear all kinds of heartbreaking stories,” Robinson said. “It’s heartbreaking, and it’s not getting better.”

North Baldwin White Christmas is looking for new, unwrapped toys, canned food and school supplies.

Robinson said there is no deadline for donations, as she can always keep leftover items for next year.

Donations can be dropped off at the RSVP office at 300 N. Hoyle Ave. in Bay Minette. For more information, contact Robinson at 251-656-8563.

Eastern Shore and Central Baldwin

The 181 Market participates in WKRG News 5’s Great Toy Drive every year. Vendors are encouraged to donate their unique, handmade items to the drive, and customers can purchase toys to donate while doing their Christmas shopping, said Melissa Smith, the 181 Market’s manager.

This year, handmade hula-hoops have been popular donations and Christmas gifts at the market. Dec. 1, Paige Renka of Peace and Hoopiness brought her handcrafted hula-hoops to the market, and more than $1,000 worth of hula-hoops were donated to the toy drive.

Smith said she loves when vendors like Renka get involved in the toy drive and provide toys that can’t be found at a big chain store.

“I wanted to give our vendors an opportunity to share whatever they make or create, and also our customers who we see every week can bring whatever they like,” she said. “It’s also open to the public to bring their handmade items to the market to sell and donate. People with ideas can bring them to me.”

Dec. 14 and 15 is the last weekend to donate to the Great Toy Drive, and the market will be open both days from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Smith said. The toy drive accepts only new, unwrapped toys.

Saturday, Santa will be at the market to meet children and pose for photos.

“And everybody can come out and hula-hoop again if they want, and they can buy more hula-hoops to donate if they want,” Smith said.

For more information, contact Smith at 251-591-7340. The 181 Market is located in Fairhope on Highway 181 just south of Highway 32.

Foley Area

Christmas Sharing is a program of Ecumenical Ministries, and since 1985, it has been serving families in the Foley and Fairhope areas.

According to Pam Meredith of Ecumenical Ministries, 300 families have signed up so far this year, which is the most the organization has ever served.

Within those 300 families, there are more than 700 children, from infants to age 13, Meredith said.

Christmas Sharing also helps the elderly.

Interested residents can be part of Christmas Sharing by selecting a Christmas Angel from the Ecumenical Ministries office, located at 102 W. Spruce Ave. in Foley. Other locations include The Foley Onlooker office, located at 217 N. McKenzie St. and Foley United Methodist Church, located at 915 N. Pine St.

“Usually, on our angels, we list several items,” Meredith said. Families can choose a Christmas Angel and shop for the items on the list, or they can donate $60 to Ecumenical Ministries, and a volunteer will do the shopping.

Although the last day to donate is Dec. 17, there are still many Christmas Angels left and many families or elderly residents who need help.

The items are given to families discreetly and confidentially, Meredith said.

“And the children don’t have to know where the presents came from,” she added.

For more information about Christmas Sharing, call the South Baldwin office of Ecumenical Ministries at 251-943-3452 or email emifoley@gulftel.com.

South Baldwin

The Orange Beach Public Library is a Toys for Tots collection site. New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the library, and the toys will be distributed by the Marine Corps Reserves to needy children in Baldwin County.

Toys can be donated during Library hours Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Items can be donated until Dec. 15.

Toys for Tots has been collecting and delivering toys for children since 1947, when Major Bill Hendricks USMCR and a group of Marine Reservists collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. Now in its 64th year, the organization distributes almost 15 million toys annually, serving more than 6 million children. 

For more information, contact the Orange Beach Public Library at 251-918-2923.