Home Start's 2025 Holiday Programs
For many struggling parents, providing gifts to their children is well beyond their reach. Help us help them by participating in our 2025 Holiday JOY Drive.
2025 Holiday JOY Drive
How Do I Host a JOY Drive?
Participating in our Holiday JOY Drive is as easy as 1-2-3:
Step 1: SIGN UP and confirm you / your team will be hosting a Holiday Toy Drive this year.
Step 2: SHOP / COLLECT new, unwrapped gifts for children ages 0-18.
DO have fun shopping! Please KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS!
DO use our gift suggestions and marketing materials as a starting point to advertise your event and collect gifts. Need ideas?
- Host a holiday party and have a new, unwrapped toy be the “entrance fee”
- Set up multiple collection sites around the office
- Use our Amazon Wishlists to send gifts directly to Home Start for remote, national, or global employees
DO think about clothing and gift cards options, especially for older children.
- More than 2/3 of children served at our JOY Drives are over the age of 6.
- We try to give EVERYONE 1-2 stocking stuffers (small, low cost, fun gifts like pop-its, small stuffed animals, Matchbox cars, etc.)
DO sort your gifts by age into labeled bags: [0-2 | 3-5 | 6-9 | 10-12 | 13+ | stuffed animals | stocking stuffers]
DON’T wrap your gifts! We always appreciate rolls of culturally diverse wrapping paper for parents to use later.
Step 3: DROP OFF your sorted, new, unwrapped gifts on one of our collection days and SUBMIT your donor form / receipts.
Drop off location – 5005 Texas Street, San Diego, CA 92108
Collection days:
- Tuesday, December 2, 3P – 6P
- Thursday, December 4, 3P – 6P
- Monday, December 8, 3P – 6P
- Wednesday, December 10, 3P – 6P
I will reach back out to you to confirm when you’ll be dropping off your gifts. Please do NOT attempt to drop off at other days / times than listed. Staff will be NOT available to receive your gifts.
I / My Team Wants to Connect More Personally with Recipients
Wonderful! We would love for you to volunteer at our Holiday Joy Drive on Thursday, December 18, 2025. Volunteers help our families shop for their gifts directly during this very special event. Please e-mail our Volunteer Coordinator Manasi Watts at mwatts@home-start.org for more information about volunteering.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Volunteer Coordinator Manasi Watts at mwatts@home-start.org contact me.
From all of us at Home Start, thank you so very much for making magical holiday memories for San Diego children and families.
Prefer to make a donation? Please click below to help bring JOY this holiday season.
Please note: our JOY Drive program is to support families currently enrolled in our programs. If you or someone you know are in need of assistance, please visit our Programs Page.
