Have any new toys to spare? Christmas Cheer needs them (7 photos)

If you go through the door at what used to be the Sears garden department entrance at Station Mall, you might, at first, think ‘Sears is back.’

It isn’t, and it won’t be, but Christmas Cheer volunteers are enthusiastically doing their annual good work on the first floor of the former Sears store, using the space as their packing depot for this Christmas season.

Dec. 7 marked the last day Christmas Cheer accepted telephone requests for Christmas Cheer baskets, as well as gently used toys.

However, certain donated items are still needed, said Jill Raycroft, head of Christmas Cheer’s packing area, speaking to SooToday Thursday.

“We will accept new toys, monetary donations and gift cards right up until Dec. 19, or early morning Dec. 20.”

Delivery of Christmas Cheer baskets to those in need takes place on one day only (Dec. 20).

“We don’t have the time to refurbish them (used toys),” Raycroft explained.

“We can also use toiletries for both teen boys and girls right now, and the sooner the better. Please don’t wait until the 19th. If people can get them in over the next few days that’s fine, that would be great, because we’re still packing.”

Donations of all types of items have been coming in at a good pace this season, Raycroft said.

“It’s been pretty good. I think it’s our location, the way the schools have rallied as well as different office groups. The office groups have gift exchange for Christmas Cheer instead of exchanging gifts with other office members. They seem to have fun doing that.”

Raycroft said the former Sears store in Station Mall “is great.”

“We’re using at least half, maybe three quarters, of the first floor.”

Raycroft said she has approximately 20 steady members in her own packing department alone.

“They’re familiar with the packing, what to do and how to do it, but we do break some new volunteers in as well. There’s a ‘Mr. Fix It’ department, the packing department, the people who handle the dolls, the people who refurbish the toys, the book people, there’s a fellow that does puzzles and games, and a lady who sorts out the knitting that comes in and gets it all stitched together and sorts it according to size.”

Raycroft said 1,700 local families have requested food this year.

“That’s up from last year, by about 75 to 100 families...we try to fill what the children ask for as close as we can (in regard to toys).”

Raycroft added “we need mittens for boys age eight to 14 (either knitted or purchased).”

Christmas Cheer packages are shipped out to various depots across town, such as church halls, Dec. 20.

Families are notified in advance which depot to report to in order to pick up their Christmas Cheer packages.

Station Mall, for obvious business reasons, would like to fill the former Sears space with a new tenant(s), but if that should not happen over the next few months, Raycroft said “we’re hoping we can come back to this space next year.”

The Christmas Cheer Depot has had several one-year-only locations in recent Christmas seasons.

In 2017, it was located in the now-vacant St. Pius X Catholic School at 48 Oryme Avenue, a side street heading west off Great Northern Road, just south of Quattro Hotel and Conference Centre.

Previously, it was located in the now-demolished former Sir James Dunn Collegiate, then in 2015 at the former Alexander Henry High School and, in 2016, at the former Transcom building at 24 Second Line West.