Toy Drive Diaries: Yes, I Did It Again

I told myself I was not taking on anything else this fall.

I said it out loud. I may have said it to witnesses.

And then I started a toy drive.

Why didn’t I just mind my own damn business?

Because here’s the thing. Some ideas don’t go away. They just sit there tapping their foot until you finally say, “Fine. What do we need to do?”

So here’s what we’re doing.

Little Acts. Big Love.

That’s the name of it, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. A whole lot of small things, from a whole lot of people, adding up to something big for kids who could use a good day.

The toy drive runs October 26 through December 11, and every toy goes to benefit children and families at Cincinnati Children’s.

Not just little kids, either. Toys are needed for ages 0 to 18. Babies, toddlers, school-age kids, teenagers. Because a fifteen-year-old stuck in a hospital room deserves something nice just as much as a four-year-old does, and nobody ever remembers the teenagers.

I do. I live with some. They have opinions.

How to help without overthinking it

I know. You’re busy. You’ve got a calendar full of things and a kitchen full of dishes. So I made this as easy as I possibly could.

The hospital keeps a list of what they actually need, so nobody has to guess and nobody ends up buying a drum set. Scan the QR code on our materials, or go straight to the Cincinnati Children’s holiday giving page, and you can see exactly which toys they’re asking for.

Pick one. Just one counts.

That’s the whole point of little acts. You don’t have to fix everything. You just have to do your one thing.

Questions?

Ask me. Or ask any of our techs when you see them out in the field. They know about it, they’ve been told to answer, and they’re better at being nice about it than I am before caffeine.

Why I’m telling you all this

Because I’m going to keep you posted. That’s what these diaries are for. The good, the chaotic, and the “why is there a stack of boxes in my living room.”

I don’t have this whole thing figured out. I never do. But I know what we’re aiming for, and I know there are a lot of good people around here who’ll show up if somebody just asks them to.

So consider this me asking.

What’s one little thing someone did for you that you still think about? Tell me in the comments. I’d love to hear it.

— Chanda