This weekend the holiday celebrations continue in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. While you are in the area for shopping, visiting Santa, and other fun please drop off a donation for the Care for Real toy drive. Drop off locations and online giving options are detailed below.
Late Night Andersonville is on Friday, December 6th. Stores stay open until 10 PM. There is live music and other performances. There are opportunities for photos with Santa or with characters from the Nutcracker. There is even a drop off activity space for kids from 4-13 so that parents can shop on their own. The full schedule of events and locations can be found on the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce web site here. Print out this coupon for discounts at various businesses during Late Night Andersonville.
The Julmarknad festival is on Saturday, December 7th and Sunday, December 8th. The tradional Julmarknad crafts, Swedish food, and entertainment is at the Swedish American Museum, but other businesses join in the fun too. You can have brunch with Santa or get your pets’ photo taken with him. You can do crafts including making doll houses, jewelry, and ornaments. The full schedule of Julmarknad events is here.
But simultaneous to all these celebrations, Care for Real is preparing to provide for neighborhood families in need.
Care for Real Executive Director Lyle Allen says that so far toy drive donations have been strong, but as usual they are particularly in need of gifts for older kids and teens.
Recommended gifts for older kids and teens include gift cards and gift certificates, games, sports items (basketballs, baseball caps and gloves, etc.), backpacks, jewelry & accessories, purses, electronics, video games, movies/dvd’s, music, make-up, tickets or gift certificates to events (theater, sports, concerts) and movie passes.
Toy drive donations will continue to be collected at the following sites through December 13:
- The Coffee Studio, 5628 N. Clark
- The Landmark of Andersonville, 5245 N. Clark
- Foursided Custom Framing Gallery, 5061 N. Clark
- Toys Et Cetera, 5311 N. Clark
All four of those businesses are offering discounts for Late Night Andersonville with this coupon, so you can easily do some shopping while dropping off a toy. At Toys Et Cetera if you purchase and leave something for the toy drive they will donate another toy of equal value. Twice the joy!
Also, on Sunday, December 8th is Pack the Car: Toy Edition. From 9 AM to noon on Sunday at the corner of Clark and Berwyn you can help fill a car with toys for the Care for Real toy drive.
There are so many opportunities for fun and giving this weekend in Andersonville, but if you can’t make it to the neighborhood you can still support the Care for Real toy drive by buying something from this Amazon wish list full of options geared specifically for older kids and teens.
You can also help support all that Care for Real does for the community by donating here or give on behalf of someone else by purchasing a holiday donation card.
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Kim Z. Dale 