This article was previously published on CambridgeToday.
After appealing to the community for a place to host their annual Toy Mountain toy drive, organizers and volunteers at the Cambridge Salvation Army are settling into the donated space where they'll make Christmas magic happen.
The crew of volunteers is turning the old RBC building at 637 King St. E. in Preston into Santa's warehouse, where families from across the city can visit to pick out presents for their children.
The City of Cambridge donated the vacant bank knowing the organization needed the space as renovations continue at their Shade Street headquarters.
After two years without a home base for Toy Mountain, executive director Danette Woods is hoping to be back in the newly renovated Salvation Army Citadel in time for Christmas 2025.
Woods said the program serves everyone from ages zero to 16, because "a 16-year-old is still a kid and they deserve to get something too."
"There are so many kids that benefit from this and without having the space to set this up, there would be a lot of children that we wouldn't be able to help."
This year will be one of the busiest for Woods and her team as they look to serve over 3,000 families.
Each year demand for toys grows, resulting in a wait list for families who don't make the Nov. 30 deadline to guarantee a spot.
Once families are given a time slot to visit Toy Mountain, kids are invited to walk through and pick out their own gifts. Woods said it gives families dignity in choosing what their child would like and play with on Christmas Day.
"It's all about the kids," she said. "If they're happy then we've done our job."
She recalled one Christmas when they received multiple boxes full of Play-Doh kits. When one mother came in she turned around and immediately started crying, because the exact kit her daughter asked for was just put on the shelf.
"Something as simple as a Play-Doh kit made that woman's Christmas and I'm sure made that little girl's Christmas as well," said Woods.
"The hustle and bustle of Christmas is so busy and we're trying to do what we can to help, but when we have those moments when you've made somebody's Christmas, it makes all the difference in the world."
Families get multiple gifts including a main, a secondary, a stuffy and a puzzle for the entire family. This way, the Salvation Army can make sure that each kid has more than one thing to open under the tree.
Donations to the program remain strong despite inflationary pressures that have slowed donations to other charities and programs.
Woods said the community seems more willing to help than ever.
"I do have to say that our community is fabulous and they really do step up," she said.
Donations come from all over, including businesses and schools, which are able to bring their toys to the toy drive until the last day of pick-up on Dec. 20.
Toys can be delivered to the old RBC building in Preston at the Salvation Army's headquarters at 12 Shade St. or given to the kettlebell workers in the Cambridge Centre Mall.
"It makes it easy so if you are buying something at the mall then you can just drop it off with them, but the preferred location is the one in Preston," Woods said.
To find out more on how to register or find other assistance this holiday season, visit the Waterloo Region Christmas Support Network.
