The Christmas Village Toy Store is a community outreach effort through local churches that seeks to come alongside local families in need and help them provide Christmas gifts for their children.
Here’s how it works:
- You bring a new, unwrapped gift to your participating school between December 2nd-5th.
- We will reprice all donated gifts to approximately 40% of the retail price, then stock a store with those repriced gifts.
- Fort Mill families who have been invited to shop at the Christmas Village Toy Store will come to purchase gifts for their family. Shoppers are allowed to spend up to $75 per invitation.
- While at the store, shoppers are treated to a wonderfully festive environment complete with Christmas music and decor, and a free gift wrapping service.
- Shoppers leave the store having used their own money to purchase toys that they chose specifically for their children.
FAQs
Why don’t we give the toys away?
Our philosophy is “A Hand Up, Not A Handout”. We believe that offering discounted gifts allows families to stretch their money much further without sacrificing their dignity. Parents walk away knowing that THEY provided Christmas for THEIR family.
Where does the money that the store collects go?
Every penny brought in through the Christmas Village Toy Store is reinvested in the Fort Mill community. Local schools and organizations assisting families in need are the beneficiaries of all of the proceeds from the store.
How are families chosen to shop at the Christmas Village Toy Store?
Invitations to shop are distributed to guidance counselors in local schools, as well as other organizations who serve underprivileged families in Fort Mill (Habitat for Humanity, Fort Mill Care Center, Family Promise). These organizations distribute invitations to families who they have identified as being in need.
Shopping Guidelines
The most important thing to remember as you purchase gifts is that we want the parents shopping at the Christmas Village Toy Store to be excited about the toys that they are purchasing. To make this happen, we ask that you keep in mind the following:
- We have a wonderfully diverse group of people who shop at the store. So, dolls and other toys
representing various ethnicities are in big demand. - While we are truly grateful for every donation, there are a few items that we’ve found do not tend
to sell well. These include board games, balls, school supplies, and toys that are significantly
outdated. - Some of the most popular items include dolls of various ethnicities, LEGOs, scooters, pretend play
toys (kitchens, tool benches, play food, etc.), craft kits, and toiletries for teens. - Donations are needed for infants through teens.
