The TODAY Show Toy Drive, a project of the TODAY Show Charitable Foundation Inc., worked to make its 24th Holiday Toy Drive its most successful ever—and several direct selling companies helped to aid that effort.
According to The TODAY Show, every 29 seconds a child in the United States is born into poverty. These children have limited access to food, medical care and basic human services. The toy drive is designed to provide gifts and essentials for impoverished children and teenagers up to age 18 nationwide, as well as gifts that children are able to give their parents.
This year, a number of direct selling companies supported the toy drive campaign. While there may be more, we are aware of these companies:
- Amway, which made a contribution of $25,000;
- Arbonne, which made a $250,000 charitable product donation;
- Mary Kay Inc., which made a $3 million donation;
- New Avon, which donated $331,00;
- Stampin’ Up!, which made a $1.3 million product donation;
- Thirty-One Gifts, which made a $4.5 million product contribution; and
- USANA, which made a $25,000 million product donation.
Since it began in 1994, The TODAY Show Toy Drive has helped more than 4 million underprivileged children, distributing about $450 million in donations to more than 180 organizations across America and to U.S. military bases abroad. Donated items go to millions of children, including those in homeless shelters, children’s group homes, schools, foster family services, domestic abuse shelters, Native American missions, military bases, hospitals, preschools, after-school programs, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
Celebrity “elves” have been collecting toys since Nov. 30 and will continue through Dec. 22. Celebrities who have helped in past years include George Clooney, Kerry Washington, Usher, Jon Hamm, Ian McKellan, Maya Rudolph, Matt Damon, Claire Danes, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Michael Buble and Paul Rudd.
For more information on The TODAY Show Toy Drive, click here.
