Please give if you can to the Christmas Toy Drive 2015 for asylum seeker children

Greens Senators Sarah Hanson-Young and Janet Rice are hosting a Christmas Toy Drive 2015. Here’s their statement asking for your help:

It’s that time of year again when we ask you to buy an extra toy to give to one of the 4500 children who are either locked in a detention centre, or stuck in limbo in the community.

You may also like to donate other goods. Please see the below lists for goods which will be accepted.

Please note, all items must be brand new and unwrapped for inspection and sorting.

Please do not send food goods of any kind.

Please send toys and goods to either:

Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young’s, Toy Drive, Level 7, 147 Pirie Street, Adelaide,  SA, 5000 or

Sen. Janet Rice,  Toy Drive, 240 Sydney Rd, Coburg, VIC 3058

If you have any questions please e-mail senator.hanson-young@aph.gov.au with the subject ‘Toy Drive’ and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

For children in detention facilities:

  • artwork – pencils, marking pens, paints, paintbrushes and drawing pads
  • games – UNO, cards, chess sets, backgammon, checkers, quoits, snakes & ladders, ludo, board games
  • sporting goods – rubber balls, tennis balls, soccer balls, yoyos (no skipping ropes)
  • household – alarm clocks, blankets
  • entertainment – tapes or CDs, DVDs, hand-held computer games, musical instruments
  • reading material – books, magazines, puzzles, dictionaries, English grammar books
  • clothing – sunglasses, sunhats, t-shirts, shorts, shoes, light scarves, tights
  • local and international phone cards
  • items for religious observance

For children in the community and community detention:

  • artwork – pencils, marking pens, paints, paintbrushes and drawing pads

  • games – UNO, cards, chess sets, backgammon, checkers, quoits, snakes & ladders, ludo, board games

  • sporting goods – rubber balls, tennis balls, soccer balls, yoyos

  • household – alarm clocks, blankets

  • entertainment – tapes or CDs, DVDs, hand-held computer games, musical instruments

  • reading material – books, magazines, puzzles, dictionaries, English grammar books

  • clothing – sunglasses, sunhats, t-shirts, shorts, shoes, light scarves, tights

  • local and international phone cards

  • items for religious observance

  • Bibs – stain free plastic and fabric bibs with domes and no ties

  • Blankets – for bassinettes or cots

  • Activity mats or Baby gyms

  • Pyjamas and sleepwear – must be new

  • Bed sheets – must be new

  • Gift cards from department stores such as Kmart, Big W and Target

  • International calling cards (with good rates for Sri Lanka as well as African and Middle Eastern countries)

  • Pots and pans (new or like new – e.g. cheap kitchenware packs at Kmart, Big W, Target etc)

  • shampoo

  • soap

  • toothbrushes

  • Disposable nappies in unopened packs (preferably large and extra-large)

  • Brand new linen sets in unopened packs

  • Blankets (in Autumn and Winter)

  • Mobile phones (new or used, with charger and batteries, all in working order)

  • Selected baby items: new teething rings, maternity pads, nursing pads, nipple cream.

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