City Impact calls for toys, volunteers for Gifts of Love program

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The 24th annual Gifts of Love Christmas program is starting early this season because of manufacturing shortages. They want to make sure every child has a gift under the tree to open this year.

This Saturday, City Impact will be collecting items to sell in their Christmas store this holiday season. You can donate anything, it just has to be new. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. at Citylight Church near 27th and ‘O’ Streets. If you can’t make it this weekend, City Impact takes gifts anytime during the week at their building (1035 N. 33rd).

Gifts of Love has provided toys to hundreds of families in need over the years. In 2020, they served over 550 families, and this year their goal is to make that 600.

“I can’t tell you how many mom’s I have seen come out of the store having shopped in tears, overwhelmed, because they were able to get something for their kid, for their teenager, who doesn’t even qualify for the other programs in town,” Lisa Guill, the Communications Director for City Impact said. “But they could come here and shop for them and get something they can afford. They can spend five dollars of their own money to get a great gift for their kid.”

In order to shop in Gifts of Love, you have to register.

The Christmas store, that’s inside of City Impact, will be open December 5 – 11.

Guill says nothing inside of the store will cost more than $20 dollars.

For more information on Gifts of Love, head to their website: https://cityimpact.org/.