Sacred Heart in San Jose says it's facing an urgent toy shortage

Sacred Heart is 3,500 toys short of goal for Christmas gift distribution

Sacred Heart is 3,500 toys short of goal for Christmas gift distribution.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Local organizations are scrambling to make sure every child has a gift to open on Christmas morning. Sacred Heart in San Jose says it's facing an urgent toy shortage. 

The nonprofit's goal is to have 18,000 toys to distribute to 5,000 kids ages 1 to 17, but they're 3,500 short. They're asking the community to step up and help. 

Sacred Heart needs new, unwrapped toys or monetary donations, to make sure every child who has already registered for the event gets toys that they like. These children might not get a gift without this program.  

"The cost of living is very high, folks are struggling, their wages are stagnant, and so it creates a situation where groceries cost a lot, gas costs a lot, and this program is something we designed to help those families during this time of the year, which is important for people to create memories for their families," said Demone Carter with Sacred Heart. "But if you’re experiencing poverty in those ways, it makes it tough for you to be able to do that."

The families that have pre-registered with the organization are able to choose 3 free toys for each child. Sacred Heart needs a variety of toys, so parents have options when choosing a gift for their child. 

"We want to make sure families can come in and shop for the appropriate toy for their child, for their age, for their gender, for their interests. And that’s a part of us upholding the dignity of our members instead of giving them a bag of random toys, right?" said Carter.

The distribution runs Wednesday through Friday. 

Donations can be dropped off at 1381 South First Street in San Jose, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, then from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday. 

You can also donate online.