Yavapai CASA for Kids Foundation is thrilled to announce the success of its 15th annual Holiday Toy Drive, which collected and distributed over $60,000 worth of gifts and supported 345 youth in foster care or who have aged out of care across Yavapai County.
“Since its inception in 2010, this drive has always been about more than toys,” said Mona Stephens, Development Director at Yavapai CASA for Kids Foundation. “It’s about reminding kids that their community sees them and cares about them.”
This year’s gift distribution took place on December 11 and 12 in both Prescott Valley and Cottonwood, continuing the Foundation’s commitment to serving families countywide. Over the years, the drive has grown alongside the community, from its early days on the third floor at the Prescott Downtown Courthouse, to the Eagles Aire Lodge, and now to its current distribution locations in Prescott Valley and Cottonwood. While the drive has helped thousands of children over the past 15 years, its impact is best reflected through the stories shared by caregivers and caseworkers:
One Department of Child Safety (DCS) caseworker shared that an 11-year-old girl living in a group home in Phoenix would not have received gifts without the distribution. Another caregiver, a grandmother serving as a kinship placement, described the Toy Drive as a “miracle,” allowing her to provide Christmas for her nine-year-old granddaughter without having to choose between buying gifts or paying bills.
In another case, a DCS caseworker described a 16-year-old youth who has remained in foster care for four years and requested not to transition to a Young Adult Program because his caseworker has been the only consistent adult in his life. Through the Toy Drive, she was able to give him something meaningful for the holidays from someone he trusts.
Donations included toys, art supplies, games, makeup, and bikes, a critical need fully met thanks to the Prescott Lakes community, which donated over $5,000 worth of gifts and provided all the bikes distributed this year. In addition to toys, the Foundation purchased 50 gift cards for teens, allowing older youth to choose items they enjoy. The remaining toys were donated to local school districts’ family resource centers and several service organizations in the county, extending the drive’s impact even further.
For more information about the Holiday Toy Drive or Yavapai CASA for Kids Foundation, visit YavapaiCASAforKidsFoundation.org.
