A few weeks ago we visited the Big Apple to receive an honor that our friends at World Vision nominated us for. The award was the Community Action Hero Award which is an outpouring of support and recognition from toy company Hasbro and GenerationOn (a subsidiary of Points of Light Institute). We saw celebrities there, Riley accepted her award from actress Sigorney Weaver, and took photos with director Spike Lee. It was a great time, and we felt very honored in being recognized for community action.
News Coverage: Why Children Give and Need Toys
The reporters at Patriot News, including author Sheri Melnick, surprised us with a telephone call to do a follow up story on our organization and the recent trip to the Art of Giving Gala. They really did a nice job to capture the story and great quotes regarding Riley’s Toys Foundation. It really is a great article and we do appreciate the coverage. Read it here.. 7 Year Old’s Foundation Sends Toys to Children in Africa.
Today: The Summer Toy-Drive is in Full Swing
This brings us to the Summer Toy-Drive, which is going on now. Each year, since the organization was founded, we’ve set goals to collect and send toys to orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) in need. We’ve work hard not lose sight of the initial motivation and questions that started Riley’s Toys Foundation; “Why don’t they have toys Momma,” and “Can you send them my toys?”
We can only do so much without the gracious support of our friends, networks, supporters, and sponsors. The Summer Toy-Drive is the one time of the year that we release ourselves to aggressively pursue our giving goals with your help. We ask that you please consider making Riley’s Toys’ beneficiaries part of your giving plans this year.
You can help by making a cash donation securely through our PayPal Account, you can also find a drop-off location near. You can even host a drop-off location at your business or place of gathering; or, support us through volunteering we need regular help sorting the donated toys for delivery, among other jobs – contact us if either of these forms of giving appeal to you.
Our goals are not about getting, as much as they are about giving. We invite you to join us in this endeavor by opening your heart this summer during our toy-drive. When you support RTF you create a smile of hope for OVCs in orphanages, in AIDS camps, or in impoverished areas (like Lethoso/ Darfur, Sudan).
These children often battle feeling forgotten. They struggle, feeling unsure about their place in this world, and many are without the funds to purchase such luxuries as toys. But we believe these children are not forgotten, and are worthy of all the things that make childhood such a nurturing and enjoyable period of life, including toys.
Please give today. Our friends in other places will no doubt thank you for your generosity tomorrow.
A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their home and seek refuge elsewhere.[1]
According to the website InformAfrica…
ABUJA, – The Economic Community of West African States announced on Friday that the region had a big chunk of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in Africa.
The regional bloc commissioner for human development and gender Adrienne Diop said this at a news conference on the ministerial conference on the implementation of the African Convention on Internally Displaced Persons in West Africa.
Out of the 27.5 million people, who were displaced in 2010 in Africa, 11.1 million were from the West African sub-region, Diop said.
Refugees from Sudan’s genocide-ravaged Darfur region have remained in refugee camps in eastern Chad, like this one, for several years.
“In Africa, 70 percent of the IDPs are concentrated in those countries that have been affected by conflicts, like in Sudan, DRC and Somalia,” she added. “Some of these IDPs are linked to natural disasters, like in Benin Republic, where in 2009, 20,000 people were displaced due to floods in one day, among others,” the commissioner told reporters. Diop said ECOWAS was seeking to address the issue of IDPs through the ministerial conference on the implementation of the African Convention on Internally displaced Persons in West Africa.
Do you have toys that you’d like to donate to Riley’s Toys Foundation? We have a variety of drop-off locations, in the central Pennsylvania area, that we’ll visit to pick up toys. Please see the list below to find a location near you. Also, if you’re interested in becoming a drop-off location for RTF please contact us for more information.
Contact Us
4902 Carlisle Pike #385
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
717-319-0559
info@rileystoys.org
Please note: We accept new and gently used toys. There are restrictions on what types of toys we can send to Africa. We cannot send toys that are violent in nature, we cannot send toys that require batteries, but we do send toys that help build imagination and give children hope. Thank you for your contributions.
Toy Drop-Off Locations for Riley’s Toys Foundation
Frampton Kimmel Group/Raymond James
2415 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
717-236-0480
Silver Spring Diner
6520 Carlisle Pike #260
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
(717) 691-7070
West Shore Chamber of Commerce
4211 East Trindle Road
Camp Hill, PA 17011
(717) 761-0702
Mission Central
5 Pleasant View Drive
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
717-766-1533
Making Sense Quality Consignments
4947 Carlisle Pike
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
(717) 763-7367
Riley’s Toys Foundation’s, Riley Hebbard was recently selected as a regional nominee in the Kohl’s Cares program receiving a $50 gift card and recognition certificate from Kohl’s department store.
The program, Kohl’s Cares is part of the department store chain’s corporate social responsibility efforts and provides children with positive re-enforcement for volunteering in addition to thousands of dollars in scholarships and non-profit support.
From the Kohl’s website…
Every year, Kohl’s recognizes and rewards young volunteers (ages 6-18) across the country for their amazing contributions to their communities. This year we are recognizing more than 13,000 kids with more than $2.6 million in scholarships and prizes.
The selection process first starts on a local, then regional, and, ultimately, a national level. At each turn Kohl’s selects winners based on, “the project, benefits and outcome.”
Some quick facts about the program…
In total, Kohl’s will recognize nearly the 2,200 nominees with nearly $420,000 in scholarships and prizes this year.
Since the program began in 2001, Kohl’s has awarded more than 13,000 youth volunteers with more than $2.6 million in scholarships and prizes.
Since 2009 has shipped more than 18k toys to refugee and orphan children in locations throughout continental Africa including Zimbabwe,Lethoso, and Zambia.
Started by, then four year-old, Riley Hebbard who has seen a television program showcasing the lives of children in Darfur, Sudan. Riley asked her mother to send her toys to the children in the television program, who had no toys at their schools. Later, Riley asked others including her pre-school class, church, elementary school classes, and others to get involved by donating.
Others can support Riley’s Toys Foundation by bringing gently-used and new toys to drop-off locations (no battery operated or violence related toys please), by making monetary contributions, or by volunteering to count toys and/or perform other necessary activities.
Riley’s Toys has an annual Summer Toy Drive (going on now) each year from May to August, and hope to send 10+ pallets of toys (approximately 10k toys) to children this fall.
Riley’s Toys Foundation 2012 Sponsorship Opportunities
2012 Project Sponsor $10,000
Your logo will appear below the Riley’s Toys Foundation logo on all promotions generated by the Foundation for the year 2012. The tag line ‘sponsored by XXX’ will appear with our logo at 30% the height of our logo in all print and electronic general marketing that we generate. Special event marketing is excluded.
Marketing includes, but not limited to:
Website at RileysToys.org
Posters
Flyers
Media kits
Banners
Collection boxes
Press releases
Summer Toy Drive Presenting Sponsor $5,000
Your company will be highlighted from June-August 2012 for the 4th Annual Summer Toy Drive. Your logo will appear on:
Toy Drive Marketing material
Posters
Flyers
Banners
Collection Boxes
Website
Minimum 10 FB posts mentions
Minimum 25 Tweets mentioning your participation
Opportunity to speak at the kick off event
Matching Dollars Sponsor Maximum $2,500
Choose a 14 day time period, to be coordinated with Riley’s Toys Foundation, where you will guarantee a match of dollars donated up to $2,500.
You will receive promotion via:
Website link from RileysToys.org
A specific Blog post via RileysToys.org
Minimum 14 FB posts
Minimum 28 Tweets
Inclusion in event press release
Website Sponsor $1,500
Your company logo with a link to your site will be hosted on the RileysToys.org site for all of 2012.
Collection Box Sponsor for 2012 $250
Company name and logo on the signage located on the collection box signage for the year. These boxes are placed in area businesses so this is a good branding opportunity.
2nd Annual Riley’s Toys Golf Tournament Sponsor
Title sponsor – 1 available $2,500
Platinum – 2 available $1,500
Wood – 2 available $750
Titanium – 3 available $500
Iron – 5 available $250
Tee Sponsor -18 available $100
Beverage Cart- 1 available $1,500
Photography Sponsor 1- available $1,000
Contact us for more information
4902 Carlisle Pike #385
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
717-319-0559
info@rileystoys.org
You can help by making a cash donation securely through our PayPal Account, you can also find a drop-off location near. You can even host a drop-off location at your business or place of gathering; or, support us through volunteering we need regular help sorting the donated toys for delivery, among other jobs – contact us if either of these forms of giving appeal to you.
