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Seton Hall University

Annual DOVE Toy Drive November 4 - December 9, 2024

two students shopping for toy drive

Students purchasing Christmas gifts with monetary donations from DOVE's drive.

Each year, members of our Seton Hall network donate upwards of 1,500 toys for children in need. We then sort, wrap and load the gifts into the DOVE vans, distributing them to various agencies in need. It's your generosity that makes this possible. Donating a toy to a child during the Christmas season brings hope and joy to their situations.

Each Christmas season, DOVE provides gifts to several schools and agencies in Newark, the Maplewood South Orange School District, and the Don Bosco Youth Center. In addition to local sites, DOVE donates gifts for the impoverished children in Appalachia, West Virginia, as they have done for over 25 years. Many of these children would not receive a Christmas gift if not for DOVE's donations, and we are especially devoted to making Christmas happen for our vulnerable community partners. Thank you for continuing to be a part of this Christmas miracle. Merry Christmas!

student with toy drive items

Sorting wrapped gifts and donations on reading day.

 A word on the parents of gift-receiving children: While the look on a child’s face when receiving a gift is a beautiful thing, there is an even deeper appreciation in the faces of the parents. The comfort, support, hope and joy that these parents feel in seeing their children happy is indescribable. For families struggling to put food on the table, these gifts would have been an impossibility for them to provide for their children. The parents of receiving children feel supported by the local community in an even stronger capacity when their children are directly affected in this way.

Ways to Participate

child with toy drive presents

Children in Appalachia receive gifts from Santa at the Christmas party run by Seton Hall staff and alumni.

Physical Donations
Giving trees will be set up throughout campus with specific requests from children, so feel free to get a toy tag and shop for a specific child. Toy tags can also be located in the DOVE office.

DOVE accepts any general new and unwrapped gifts as well. All gifts will find their way to a child. Gifts may be dropped off at the DOVE office in Boland Hall (9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday).

Final dates for drop off will be Friday, December 6th.

DOVE's Wish List (all ages):

  • Puzzles / Board Games
  • Crafts / Books
  • Indoor/outdoor active games
  • Science sets for children
  • LEGOs and Blocks

DOVE’s first 500 donations will receive a Seton Hall Pirate embroidered Santa Hat!

Monetary Donations
DOVE has set up a giving campaign to collect monetary donations that will be used in support of the toy drive. All proceeds are used by DOVE staff to purchase toys at our “Shopping Day” to supplement any shortage of toys for a specific age or interest. Donate here to support the toy drive.

A thank you note from the Genoa Christian Center in Appalachia:

Dear Seton Hall University and your many elves,

I want to thank each of you who bought a gift for a child. You certainly made a difference in the Christmas for the children here. I wish you could have seen the faces of the parents and children when Santa brought their gifts… they were glowing! Many parents thanked me and I want to extend that to you, who provided the many gifts. May God bless each of you for your generosity.

Gratefully,
Sr. Monica

Categories: Faith and Service

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