This must be one of the secrets no one bothered to tell us before we had kids: “hey, you will spend an inordinate amount of time purging their stuff!”
Because I don’t know about you, but are consistently getting rid of clothes and shoes. And TOYS! When we do purge the toys, it seems like we always have plenty of extra stuffed animals that could make another friend very happy.
But before you box up those Beanie Babies, check to see where you can drop them off first. Stuffed animals seem to be in a special class of toy that make them more tricky to donate.
Below is a helpful list of organizations in the Champaign-Urbana area that do and don’t accept used stuffed animals. Keep in mind, even if they’re used, they still need to be clean and in good condition.
If you know for certain another organization should be added to the list, please let us know.
Yes (accepts stuffed animals)
No
- Champaign Fire Department (they do accept NEW stuffed animals)
- Champaign Police Department (they also accept NEW stuffed animals)
- Arrow Ambulance (they already have enough at the moment)
- All Things Kids Consignment Store
- Crisis Nursery
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Maybe
There’s too many to count but keep in mind you could always check with churches, daycares, police/fire/ambulance in your town. Even your child’s school might appreciate stuffed animal donations.
Have more gently used stuff to donate? See our overall “where to donate” article.