Birmingham Holiday Gift Drives: 7 Ways to Give Back!
It's a great time to give back, BHAM. Check out these local gift drives working to make this holiday season special for families in need. Image: Children's of Alabama
Updated December 2025 by Paige Townley
This time of year is festive, but it’s also a time to express gratitude for all we have and share with those who need it most. In that spirit, we’ve rounded up seven fabulous Birmingham gift drives to make this holiday season merry and bright for the entire community.
Eastern Toys
More Info: easterntoys.org
At 18, Emondre Johnson founded Eastern Toys, delivering presents directly to the doorsteps of local families in need. Since then, the organization has spread holiday cheer by providing gifts, toys, and clothes to families throughout the community, with a festive annual event of food, games, and merry fun for the families. “During the event, we discreetly distribute gifts, toys, and clothes to parents, empowering them to present the items to their children in their own special way,” explains Emondre.
Eastern Toys has made the holidays brighter for over 450 children, and this year’s event at the Birmingham Museum of Flight will host roughly 80 guests. “We hope just being surrounded by the museum’s exhibits will ignite imaginations and dreams,” Emondre says.
Donation Details: Eastern Toys accepts new, unwrapped toys, clothing items, and monetary contributions. There are also opportunities to sponsor a child or family. You can donate online here or ship or drop off items in person at 1601 5th Avenue North, Birmingham, AL, 35203.
Eli Thrive Christmas Shop
More Info: elithrive.com
Eli Thrive is an organization focused on community development through helping underserved families. The organization matches families with a team of social work coaches to provide personalized, one-on-one support in crucial areas such as economic stability, housing, employment, and relationships.
This year, Eli Thrive is changing up how it celebrates Christmas. Now, families assisted by the nonprofit will receive a one-time subsidy to help them establish or increase their savings for Christmas, allowing them to shop for their own families. Each family will also receive a Christmas Cookie Kit and board game to enjoy together.
Donation Details: You can shop Eli’s Christmas wish list here or donate here. While the deadline to help assemble the Christmas Cookie Kit has already passed, there are multiple ways to help serve.
Sugar Plum Shop
More Info: sugarplumshop.org
Deck the halls of Children’s of Alabama by assisting with the 16th annual Sugar Plum Toy Shop! Each year, the shop serves hundreds of children who are spending their holiday in the hospital.
“The Sugar Plum Shop is another part of the magical holiday season at Children’s of Alabama,” says Jennifer Conway, the Director of Child Life and Education at Children’s of Alabama. “Most families and caregivers do not plan to be in the hospital during the holidays. Thanks to our community and corporate partners, our families can provide gifts to their hospitalized children at no cost to them. The Sugar Plum Shop is a way for the hospital, volunteers, and community to support these families during this time.”
Donation Details: You can shop the Amazon registry here or donate money here. The deadline to donate is Tuesday, December 16.
UAB Toy Drive
More Info: go.uab.edu
This year marks the 32nd annual UAB Toy Drive, which collects new, unwrapped toys for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign. The gifts are then distributed to children in need throughout the Birmingham metro area.
Donation Details: Shop the UAB Toy Drive wish list on Amazon or Target and have the gifts shipped directly to UAB. Alternatively, you can drop off toys at collection boxes around UAB’s campus. The deadline to donate is Thursday, December 11, and the last donations will be picked up at Cudworth Hall at noon.
Circle of Love Holiday Toy Drive
More Info: thecircleoflove.org
Join the spirit of giving with The Circle of Love’s 21st Annual Toy Drive. The organization provides holiday joy and hope for local children in need through its partnerships with shelters around the Magic City: First Light, Grace House, Jessie’s Place, Lovelady Center, Olivia’s House, One Roof, and Rural Alabama.
“I was a child without basic needs from school supplies to Christmas, and I know how these children feel,” explains The Circle of Love founder Doris Phillips. “When I was nine years old, a family gifted Christmas and food to my family, and it is my goal to give that same feeling to other families.”
Circle of Love has provided more than 25,000 gifts to children across the Birmingham metro area since its inaugural drive in 2004.
Donation Details: You can shop the Amazon wish list for gifts and have them shipped straight to The Circle of Love. Or, click here for over 140 locations around Birmingham to drop off your new, unwrapped gift. The drop-off deadline is Sunday, December 8.
Magic City Toy Drive
More info: birminghamal.gov
The Magic City Toy Drive is a heartfelt effort to bring joy to youth across Birmingham who might not otherwise wake up to gifts during the holidays. Hosted by City of Birmingham in partnership with CBS 42 and AmFirst Credit Union, the initiative collects new, unwrapped toys for youth ages newborn to 10 living in low-to-moderate-income households within the city.
Every year, hundreds of children receive holiday gifts — from bikes and books to sports gear and board games — thanks to donations from individuals and community partners.
Donation Details: You can drop off donations at a number of sites across Birmingham, including the East, West, North, and South Police Precincts, Police Administration Building, all Birmingham Fire and Rescue stations, all AmFirst Credit Unions in Birmingham, the Department of Youth Services, and Birmingham City Hall. The drop-off deadline is Friday, December 5.
Toys For Tots
More info: bessemer-al.toysfortots.org
The Greater Birmingham area chapter of Toys for Tots spreads holiday joy on a grand scale, collecting new, unwrapped toys each season and delivering gifts to thousands of children in need. In the most recent year, the local drive distributed over 40,000 toys to nearly 15,000 children in the region.
With drop‑off containers across the city, community partners joining in, and volunteer Marines and neighbors working together, the effort makes it easy for all to pitch in.
Donation Details: If your business can serve as a local toy drive site, click here. To find out where you can drop off a new, unwrapped toy, click here. Or, if you prefer to donate online, click here.
Get giving, Birmingham!
**********
To stay in the know on the best of Birmingham, subscribe to our daily emails!
Katie Leigh Matthews
A Birmingham native, Katie is a lifelong waterfall chaser and is passionate about the outdoors. She also loves connecting with remarkable women in the Birmingham community and bringing their stories to life. Katie has been writing professionally for over six years; you can find more of her work at Moms.com and Islands.com.