The Kids Gift Closet, a long-standing initiative helping OSU families provide gifts for their children throughout the year, is seeking donations to stock the closet for the upcoming 2025 holiday season.
The Kids Gift Closet, offered through the Family Resource Center on the Corvallis campus, serves OSU families throughout the year by providing them access to new gifts for birthdays, cultural and religious holidays and festivities. Every year during the December holiday season, between 35 and 50 OSU families on average pick up gifts from the closet.
Director of parent-student engagement Kristi King said she’s already had inquiries from families inquiring about this year’s closet and expects to see more local families use the service than in previous years, due to economic challenges.
Families have anonymously shared how they have benefited from the Kids Gift Closet in the past.
“The Kids Gift Closet is such a blessing to our family,” one parent wrote. “I can’t believe the generosity of the Family Resource Center and OSU community. There are so many items to choose from and I always find something my child will love.”
Another said, “Thank you for letting me come to the Kids Gift Closet and shop for my children. I liked being able to pick out items that I knew my children would enjoy. They were so happy!”
King said there are a number of perennial favorites when it comes to donations.
“LEGO is always popular, along with trucks, dolls, dinosaurs and princesses. Games, puzzles and art supplies too,” she said. “We always have parents pick out a book for their child when they shop, so donations of books are helpful too.”
Donations must be brand-new, unwrapped items that a parent would want to give their child for a gift. Participants are shopping for gifts for their newborns through teenagers, so donations for a variety of ages are great. Staff also accepts donations of wrapping paper and gift bags.
Those wishing to make a donation can either purchase an item locally, or use the center’s Amazon wish list at Kids Gift Closet Wish List- Family Resource Center. Items purchased through the wish list can be shipped directly to the center, and items purchased locally can be dropped off on the second floor of Azalea House by emailing [email protected] to set up a drop-off time.
