7 Ways to Get Free Christmas Toys & Gifts for Low Income Families

We’ve all been there, whether it’s just one unexpected bill, like the car breaking down, or a pet needing veterinary treatment, sometimes we just don’t have the money we need, when we need it.

In this article, I’m going to give you some easy ways to get Christmas gifts for free.

Where Can I Go to Get Free Toys for Christmas?

If you want to know where can to get free gifts this holiday season, there are two awesome organizations that you should check out. Using these two organisation, you can save a lot of money on Christmas gifts.

Toys for Tots

The Marine Toys for Tots program collects new unwrapped toys and gives those toys to children who need them at Christmastime.

It doesn’t do this on a national level. Instead, you’ll need to contact your local Marine Toys for Tots campaign for information on how to apply for assistance.

You can find your local campaign and request toys from Toys for Tots here.

You can locate your local campaign using the interactive map, or you can choose your state from the drop down menu, followed by your nearest local county or city. You’ll be redirected to the Toys for Tots website for your local community.

And you’ll get the contact information for the Local Campaign Coordinator.

Salvation Army Angel Tree Program

Another organization that helps out low income families at Christmastime is the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army has lots of different programs to help out those in need during the holidays.

One is called the Angel Tree Program. The program gives clothes and toys to one million children who normally have to go without Christmas gifts.

You can learn how the Salvation Army helps families during Christmas here.

To get help with gifts, you’ll need to contact your local Salvation Army. You can find your local Salvation Army here.

Where Can I Get Free Christmas Gifts for Low Income Families in 2019

Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army aren’t the only ways to get help with Christmas gifts.

There are lots of local organizations that can provide your family with free gifts.

An easy way to find local charitable organizations is to use HelpingAmericansFindHelp.org.

You can use HelpingAmericansFindHelp.org to search for charitable organizations near you that provide Christmas assistance.

It lists organizations in different states that provide assistance during the holidays, including free Christmas gifts.

Here are some examples of local programs featured on the site:

The Gifts of Love Holiday Program – Arizona

The Gifts of Love Holiday Program from Interfaith Community Services helps families in the Tucson, Arizona area during the holidays. It matches families in need with generous individuals, organizations and faith partners to provide gifts during the holiday season.

The Empty Stocking Fund – Georgia

Through relationships with wholesale distributors, The Empty Stocking Fund purchases brand new items and offers them to children who need them. In December, the program invites parents and guardians of child up to 12 years old to visit Santa’s Village and choose Christmas presents for their children.

The Holiday Giving Program – Illinois

The Walter & Connie Payton Foundation has a program called the Holiday Giving Program.

It provides holiday gifts to thousands of children in need and Veterans throughout Illinois.

Maine Seacoast Mission Christmas Program

The Maine Seacoast Mission distributes Christmas presents through it’s Christmas program. It gives gifts to children, the elderly, nursing home residents, and families.

It also runs an “Elves Workshop” at a community center where people can choose gifts that they would like to give their families.

Crosslines Holiday Center – Missouri

The Crosslines Holiday Center offers a few different holiday programs to people in Missouri.

It has a program called The Toystore that offers brand-new toys to children who may not get anything on Christmas.

As you can see, there are lots of programs featured on HelpingAmericansFindHelp.org.

So you should definitely check out the site to find a program near you.

Just click on your state on the Christmas assistance page we linked to above, and you’ll see a list of holiday programs near you.

Also contact United Way for Christmas help

Another way to find local programs that can help out with free toys at Christmas is to contact United Way.

United Way will be able to connect you with charitable organizations and programs near you.

Other Holiday Freebies

We have a few posts about all kinds of holiday related freebies that cans ave a lot of time and money. Check ’em out.

• 121 Amazing Christmas Freebies
• 47 Free Printable Christmas Gift Tags
• Free Christmas Activities Near Me
• 60 Cheap or Free Things to Do for Christmas

A Few Ways to Make Some Extra Money for the Holidays

We’d all like extra money. When you live on a low income, it can seem like there’s never any money left once your bills and living expenses are paid.

That’s why making some extra money is such a good idea. It gives you some breathing room in your budget. At Christmastime, especially, this can be so useful.

Take a look at these easy things that anyone can do to make money.

Do easy tasks like watching TV on rewards websites

Sites like Swagbucks give you points when you do really easy tasks, like:

• Playing games
• Watching TV
• Completing offers
• Browsing the internet
• Shopping online
• Taking surveys

You probably already do some of those tasks anyway. You can redeem the points you earn for money to your PayPal account, or for gift cards to popular retailers, like:

• Target
• Walmart
• Amazon
• Best Buy
• CVS
• Macy’s
• eBay

Swagbucks isn’t the only rewards website out there either. Other good rewards websites include:

• TreasureTrooper
• Perk
• InboxDollars
• SquishyCash
• MyPoints
• InstaGC
• QuickRewards.net
• EarnHoney
• Gift Hunter Club

You could easily make $30 to $50 or more a month if you join a few different rewards websites.

Take surveys

Surveys are another easy way to make some extra cash if you don’t mind sharing your opinion.

Most survey sites pay you with money to your PayPal account, a check, or with gift cards.

Here are some good survey websites:

• Toluna
• Vindale Research
• iPoll
• MySurvey
• Pinecone Research
• QuickThoughts
• SurveySavvy
• Darwin’s Data
• Google Opinion Rewards
• Ipsos i-Say
• Survey Junkie
• Qmee

Joining a few survey sites is a good idea, as you likely won’t qualify for all of a site’s surveys.

You increase the amount of surveys that you qualify for when you join multiple survey sites, meaning you increase your income.

Pick up a side gig

One of the best ways to make some extra money for gifts, and all throughout the year in fact, is to pick up a side gig!

A side gig is a job that you can do part-time, alongside your regular job.

Most of these gigs are freelance, meaning you can take on as little or as much work as you want to.

The money you make from side gigs can give you more room in your budget and help you to pay for gifts around the holidays.

Here are some examples of side gigs you could try out:

• Do some data entry work online and make $440 plus a month, working just ten hours a week.
• Be a delivery driver for Amazon Flex and make between $18 and $25 an hour – work just 8 hours a week, and you’d make up to $800 a month.
• Teach English online and earn $20 an hour. You don’t even need to leave the house to make money!
• Write for blogs: It’s likely you know a lot about at least one topic, whether that’s parenting or cooking. So contribute to blogs. Some pay $100 per post!
• Be a freelance writer and make $10 to $55 an hour. Sometimes pay is per word, which can range from $0.005 a word to as much as $0.06 or more.

We have lots of posts on ways to make money with side gigs and work at home jobs.

Here are a few posts you should read:

• Our Favorite 150 Legitimate Work from Home Jobs with No Start up Fee
• 101 Sites to Find Quick Cash Paying Gigs Near Me (Earn up to $71/Hr)
• 95 Legit Online Jobs for Housewives (Work from Home Without Investment)
• Get Paid to Blog (about Anything): 21 Blogs That Pay You $100+ for Guest Posts
• Get Paid to Write: 101 Sites That Pay You $50-$3000 per Blog Post

Key Takeaway

As a parent, you want to provide your children with gifts at Christmas, but unfortunately, you might just not be able to afford to buy gifts.

And you’re not alone.

Lots of people struggle. Fortunately, there are wonderful charitable organizations out there willing to help, like Toys for Tots and The Salvation Army.

If you’re struggling financially, you should reach out for assistance from one of the organizations above.

And remember that as cliché as it sounds, Christmas should be about spending time with loved ones and just enjoying time together. So don’t stress yourself out trying to buy gifts. Enjoy time with family and if you need help buying gifts this year, contact one of the organizations above.

Let us know in the comments section below what charities in your area help out with gifts around the holidays.