Answered by the volunteers who run the drive.
The questions we hear most.
Donating, hosting, and how the drive works. If your question isn’t here, write to us.
Giving a toy.
What we accept, where it goes, and the easiest ways to put a new toy in a child’s hands.
What kinds of toys do you accept?
New, unwrapped toys for ages 0–17.
What can’t I donate?
Used toys, clothing, food. Every toy we hand out has to be new and unopened.
Where do I drop off toys?
Our San Jose warehouse at 186 Barnard Ave, San Jose, CA 95125, Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. No appointment needed. Find a donation site to see every location open this season.
Can I donate outside of November and December?
Yes. We accept donations year-round at 186 Barnard Ave, Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Partner donation sites operate during the drive season.
Can I ship toys instead of dropping them off?
Yes. Order anything from our Amazon wish list and set the shipping address to Joey’s Toy Drive HQ at checkout. The toys arrive at the warehouse.
I can't get my toys to you. Will you pick them up?
Yes. We pick up donations, free, anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area. Request a pickup and we'll reply to set a day that works.
What happens to my toys after I donate?
Volunteers sort every toy by age at the San Jose warehouse, then send them out through partner nonprofits, schools, faith communities, and community organizations across the Bay Area.
Can I donate cash?
We take physical toys rather than cash right now. To give money toward toys today, order from the Amazon wish list: you pay, the toys ship straight to the warehouse.
Hosting a drive.
Run a collection box at your workplace, school, or faith community. You supply the space and the people. We supply everything else.
How do I host a drive at my workplace?
Sign up in the partner portal at joeystoydrive.org/portal: your organization, where the collection boxes go, and a contact. It takes about five minutes and your drive is active right away, with no approval step.
Does it cost anything?
No. We supply the collection boxes, printed materials, pickup, sorting, and distribution. There’s no setup fee and no contract.
Is my workplace too small to host?
No. Hosts run from neighborhood firms to Fortune 500s, and schools, faith communities, scout troops, and community groups host every year too.
When does the drive run?
Through the holiday season. Boxes go out in the fall, your team gives through December 18, and we pick up, sort, and deliver everything in time for Christmas.
Can a school or faith community host instead of a workplace?
Yes. The process is identical: same boxes, same materials, same pickup. Schools, faith communities, scout troops, and community groups make up a large part of the network of about 120 partners.
About the drive.
Who runs the drive, where the sorting happens, and how the toys move.
Who runs Joey’s Toy Drive?
Joey Childs started the drive in December 2012 at age 8, and still directs it. The whole operation is volunteer-run: a small core leadership team, plus a wider crew through the season.
Where do the toys get sorted?
At our warehouse, 186 Barnard Ave, San Jose, CA 95125. Toys come in from about 120 partners, get sorted by age, and go back out through the organizations that distribute them.
Who provides the trucks and the warehouse?
Silicon Valley Moving & Storage donates the trucks, the warehouse space, and the freight handling.
How many toys do you collect each year?
Tens of thousands each season. Every toy is counted by hand, and the per-year totals are on the impact page.
Can I volunteer?
Yes. We need the most hands from mid-November through the end of December: sorting, distribution, and driving. Start on the volunteer page.
Email us your question.
We read every message and reply as soon as we can.